Earshot

Getting the 35th Earshot Jazz Festival off to a rollicking start. Not only is Dugdale a local favorite and last year's Festival Resident Festival Artist, he's a musician of endless energy and talent.

Breathtaking technical skills and her ability to pull the listener into her world creates intimacy that very few vocalists can achieve, a talent that has nothing to do with chops or genre and everything to do with humanity, positivity, and communication.

Hiromi Uehara has electrified audiences and critics with a creative energy that encompasses and eclipses the boundaries of jazz, classical and pop parameters, taking improvisation and composition to new heights.

Two "musical soulmates" celebrate and contemplate the events of their 20-year journey as friends and collaborators through the tenets of their message, their enchanting sound, and rhythmic complexity laced with wit and dexterity.

Not one to be limited by boundaries, Riley at a young age was inspired by the likes of Karen Carpenter, Led Zeppelin, the Jackson Five, ABBA, the Beatles, Deerhoof, Miles Davis and Elvin Jones.

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott, presents his all-start quartet which includes drummer Roy McCurdy, bassist Eric Revis, and pianist George Colligan to celebrate Roy McCurdy, whose illustrious career has seen him reach legend status.

The GRAMMY® nominated vocal supergroup, säje, is rooted in the tradition of joy, curiosity, lush harmony, heart-felt expression, and profound sisterhood.

An accomplished drummer, composer, and bandleader. Known as a unique voice in the contemporary music scene Raymond melds jazz with African polyrhythms, and classical percussion technique.

The Bad Plus are the ultimate originals. A democratic unit with a clear vision and a refusal to conform to convention. They make their own rules and have done so with a bold sense of creativity and intent.

This trio consists of three highly innovative improvisers with great finesse and sensitivity in collective playing that creates adventurous jazz. Their instruments mesh in such a way that the sax and a bowed bass sound as one.

Preserving her musical past, Sona Jobarteh innovates to support a more humanitarian future. Her musical work stands on the mighty shoulders of The West African Griot Tradition; she is a living archive of the Gambian people.

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah is a two-time Edison Award-winning, six-time Grammy Award-nominated, Doris Duke Award in the Arts Award-winner. He is a sonic architect, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and more.

Jonah Parzen-Johnson's approach to music includes both improvisation and composition that is both formidable and unique. Seattle-based Here to Play opens with Kelsey Mines, Neil Welch, and Gregg Keplinger and brings forward-thinking to the festival.

Gil Scott-Heron exploded on the scene with works of powerful social and political commentary reflecting the African American experience and struggle for justice delivered in a style that became a major influence on the development of rap.

Birch Pereira, known for swing, Americana, trad jazz, jump blues, and early rock brings his music to the dancehall. Prior to the concert, dance instructors will lead off the night with some dance lessons and a bit of history about the form too.

Khu.éex’ is an Indigenous band full of creative members, including storytellers, activists and artists, that bring this collective energy to the stage as one powerful unit. The name Khu.éex' expresses the notion of sharing culture, stories, and music.

Born in St. Louis and raised in Pittsburgh, the son of Japanese immigrants, trumpeter Jun Iida was exposed to a myriad of musical styles from a young age. Iida has been an active musician across America.

Straddling the worlds of folk, indie rock, jazz and chamber music. Todd Sickafoose is a cross-genre performer who's toured widely around the US and the world and recorded his work on countless albums.

Maiden Voyage is honored to join Earshot Jazz Festival in presenting two special listening sessions. Earshot alum and keyboard wizard Noel Brass Jr. will be the special guest selector on October 21 and share some of his favorite records.

Elsa Nilsson has attained the legal rights to use Maya Angelou's voice as part of their performances. Madan's piece specifically commissioned for the Earshot Jazz Festival focuses on family and what it means to navigate culture barriers.

Both renowned and accomplished musicians in their own right, these two have shared a musical journey for more than a decade and are considered one of today's most talented jazz couples.

Pianist/composer John Escreet, hailed by Time Out London as a “transatlantic jazz genius,” continues his artistic ascent. His limitless technique, harmonic imagination and refined grasp of the improviser’s art, ranks as one of the top pianist-auteurs of our time.

What started out nearly a decade years ago as a project to record and mentor young brilliant Cuban female musicians, has become one of the top groups on the North American jazz scene.

Seattle pianist Ann Reynolds along with producer and director Kay D. Ray present an evening of music and film devoted to the pioneering pianist. Archival film interview clips and rare performance footage of Mary Lou Williams will be used to tell the story.

Grammy-nominated musician, emcee, singer, producer and drummer Kassa Overall melds avant-garde experimentation with hip-hop production techniques to tilt the nexus of jazz and rap in unmapped directions.

Craig Taborn has been performing piano and electronic music in the jazz, improvisational, and creative music scene for over twenty five years. His mastery of the form is legendary.

A rare solo DJ set from Kassa Overall with avant-garde experimentation, showing why Kassa’s deep Seattle jazz roots make him a go-to player in the hiphop world. Opening is Phinehas Nyang'Oro, a talented young vocalist and guitarist on the Seattle scene.

A compelling genre-defying sound, Harriet Tubman embraces the pioneering spirit of jazz. Re-contextualizing musical technology is an important part of the African-American tradition, and the trio sees Harriet Tubman as its contribution to that tradition.

Saturday, October 28 2:00pm-4:00pm PDT Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute In-person* FREE All-ages Co-presented with Langston.  All are welcome to this special workshop by renowned artist Georgia Anne Muldrow. The workshop is free and open to all ages. We encourage students and anyone interested in getting an insight into modes of creativity in jazz today to […]

Experimental and boundary-pushing describe the sometimes difficult to encapsulate, enigmatic artist and alto saxophonist Tim Berne. He readily embraces artistry that is compellingly different and questions itself as well as the world we inhabit.

Compelled to push the boundaries of jazz, Muldrow's artistry is known for its adventurous approach—she mixes elements of R&B, jazz, funk, and rap to create music that is often cited as being otherworldly.

SWOJO has been showcasing many of the the finest female jazz artists in the Puget Sound region for over 20 years. Albero's playing is an absolute celebration of life.

One of Cuba's greatest and most celebrated vocalists. Omara Portuondo's music transcends borders and speaks of her love for the enduring power of music to heal and spread immense joy.

Violist and composer Mat Maneri is a master of improvisation. He follows in the footsteps of stellar improvisers Paul Bley and Paul Motian with a sound that is distinctly his own and developed over years of discovery and practice.