Turn it up!

As the weather warms up around the region, things are definitely heating up around Earshot Jazz. We’ve got some great concert events coming up, announcements on significant national and regional organizational awards, and our annual celebration of Seattle’s incredible jazz community in a hard-swinging Golden Ear Awards Party.

You’ll find us with some regularity this month at Columbia City’s always-bustling Royal Room. We especially invite you to join us on Monday, April 2, for the annual Golden Ear and Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame Awards Party. We’re emphasizing the “party” aspect this year with music in a deep groove by Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. Delvon has recently signed with one of the largest booking agencies in America, and already has dates lined up around the country, including a slot in the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival. Catch them locally while you still can, while you help us honor a brand-new slate of award winners. And speaking of award winners, we are delighted that our own Karen Caropepe has been selected as Seattle’s “Jazz Hero” this year, by the national Jazz Journalists Association. That award is very well deserved!

Check this issue for previews of upcoming Earshot concerts for this month, most of which will be hosted at the Royal Room. We’re proud to welcome old and new friends, and reprise some of our favorite recent concert presentations, as we continue to showcase the increasingly diverse world of jazz. We are also proud to be involved in a very special event on the Triple Door mainstage on April 24, which kicks off a week of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Seattle’s Black Panther Party. Tickets for that are available through the Triple Door, with more information on our site. These April concerts are also a warm up for an incredible line up of June events. Stay tuned.

Three years ago, the National Endowment for the Arts profiled the Earshot organization in their 50th anniversary magazine, The NEA at 50. Under the headline, “Improvising with the Community,” the magazine recognized our commitment to thinking globally while acting locally, saying, “Despite its international reputation, Earshot has remained a true community organization.” That national recognition continues. We’re honored that the Earshot Jazz organization has recently been selected for special awards from two significant national foundations. We’ll have details on those, and more, in an announcement in next month’s issue.

Please join us in support of jazz in this incredible, expanding community!

–John Gilbreath, Executive Director