Earshot Jazz

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.

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.

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.

Born out of a loose, weekly jam session hosted at Seattle’s historic Royal Room, High Pulp draws on jazz, bebop, punk rock, shoegaze, hip-hop, and electronic music to create a sound that is both vintage and futuristic.

This performance will be a extraordinary treat—the premiere of Kendrick's Chamber Music America & Jack Straw supported original suite "Grounded"—a multi-movement work for string quartet, jazz quartet, harmonium and other healing instruments.

Drummer Ted Poor brings his innovative, boundary stretching jazz to the stage in quartet format. Get ready for the exciting debut of a new quartet and expect adventurous, intense, and soulful music.

Paul de Barros enthusiastically notes that Bisio's "distinctive approach features an enormous sound, warm and woody; impeccable classical bowing technique; a soulful, moody feel for the blues and swing; and a bevy of extended techniques." Seattle Times

Portland-based ensemble Be Present Art Group (BPAG) is a multidimensional revolving artists collective who specialized in improvisational creative collaborations. BPAG strives to empower through collaboration, creativity, and education.

The concert follows in the tradition of the Battle of the Bands popularized by an early 20th century concert staple where two popular orchestras would try to outperform one another in front of a live audience.

With her explosive mix of hip hop, cumbia, dancehall and reggae, La Dame Blanche delivers a powerful and compelling sound. Snaider will create an avant-Latin fusion ensemble that includes electronic instruments and open forms.