Letter from the Director

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Happy New Year, from all of us at Earshot Jazz!

The cool thing about marking the New Year holiday is that it gives us the sensibility and permission to start, anything or everything. On the remix of Freedom Jazz Dance, Miles Davis can be heard telling someone, “Just put it on the ONE!” And here it is.

With most of us going through our days (our years, our lives) with our noses down, and our heads full of worry and work, the “New Year” holiday can present us with a much needed, even if mainly symbolic, clean slate. The ways of the world will certainly remain as they are, but we have an opportunity here “on the one” to back up, rethink our approach, reapply our resources, and go into our time as if it were a beginning.

We have a lot to be thankful for here in the Seattle jazz community, and lot of new work in front of us. Kicking off our 34th year of publication, this issue of Earshot Jazz captures the ongoing momentum of Seattle jazz with a recommendation to experience Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith at MOHAI, a profile of one of Seattle’s most prolific “under the radar” artists, and listings of recurring jazz performances and presentations around the Puget Sound region.

This New Year will bring exciting new opportunities to the Earshot Jazz organization, which we’ll put into motion for the entire community. Among our resolutions for 2018 are: to increase performance opportunities for Seattle artists, convene information and planning discussions from the community, designate a program committee of Seattle artist, examine options for the annual Golden Ear Awards, digitize the entire library of Earshot Jazz publications for public access, increase residency and community engagement by visiting artists, support and enhance jazz education in the community, and much more. Miles to go before we sleep.

In order to see that bigger picture through fresh new eyes, we very much welcome your input and ideas. We invite you to reimagine the landscape and join our work to “cultivate a vibrant jazz community” for this great city.

Happy New Year!

–John Gilbreath, Executive Director