Mary Lou Williams photo courtesy of William Gottlieb.
Correction
In the January 2021 edition of Earshot Jazz, we published an album review with incorrect information. The Postponed Parade album review credited Geoff Harper as the soloist on the song “Shoreline”—Michael Glynn is the correct soloist. We apologize for this error.
SMASH Healthcare
Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare provides comprehensive healthcare, emphasizing prevention and wellness, to musicians in the local community. Musicians can join SMASH for free and access free and low-cost care including mental health therapy, hearing screenings, as well as preventative dental services and healthcare. To be eligible musicians and music teachers must live in King or surrounding counties and meet income guidelines. SMASH also accepts donations. Visit smashseattle.org for details.
Save Our Stages Act Passed
A $15 billion package was signed by the U.S. Congress on December 27, 2020, as part of a $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus bill (Economic Aid Act) that sets funding aside for independent venues including live music venues and promoters, theatrical producers, performing arts organizations, nonprofit museums, and motion picture theaters. Grants may be used for payroll, rent, utilities, and other business expenses. Applicants can apply for two grants: an initial grant, which will provide 45% of 2019 gross earned revenue, and a supplemental grant. Once the Small Business Administration has established regulations to administer the program, applications are anticipated to be accepted on or after April 1, 2021. For more details visit nivassoc.org.
Paycheck Protection Program Included in Economic Aid Act
With the passing of the COVID-19 stimulus bill, which includes more funding for the PPP, the Small Business Administration has released information about how to apply for the program. First priority goes to first-time PPP borrowers, including minority-owned, veteran-owned, woman-owned, and businesses in underserved markets. At least 60% of PPP funds must be used for payroll while the remaining funds can be used for mortgage interest, rent, utility, and covered operations expenditures. Additional uses for this round of funding include certain operational expenses for computing, human resources, accounting, supplier costs pursuant to a contract for goods, and personal protective equipment. To find the nearest advisor in Washington state, visit the website wsbdc.org/contact-an-advisor; email washington@wsbdc.org; or phone 833-4WA-SBDC.
Totem Star Artists Mentor Sessions
Totem Star, a local nonprofit that works with youth to build life skills in communication, collaboration, and critical thinking through their creative pursuits in music production and performance, is offering Winter Sessions which are available for booking from now through Friday, March 19th. These artist mentor sessions are free for youth ages 14-25 years old while in quarantine. To find out about the artist mentors and how to apply for the program visit Facebook @totemstar or totemstar.org.
Piano Starts Here: Mary Lou Williams & Thelonious Monk
Next in this series is an exploration of the works of jazz piano innovators Mary Lou Williams and one of her mentees, Thelonious Monk. This concert will be livestreamed from The Royal Room, on February 17, at 7:30pm, PST and is presented by KNKX and South Hudson Music Project by LiveConcertsStream. Alex Guilbert, host of the Piano Starts Here series, who has been playing and composing music professionally as part of the Seattle scene for more than 20 years, will be joined by Nelda Swiggett, Ryan Burns, and Ray Skjelbred. For details visit royalroomseattle.com.
2021 Seattle Jazz as Culture Festival
Now in its second year, Jazz In The City, presents this year’s festival as a virtual experience from February 12–14. Including both discussions and concerts, the Jazz as Culture Festival aims to emphasize jazz’s roots in African American culture. Tune in for interviews with grammy-nominated saxophonist Tia Fuller; and another with Dan Kuramoto, founder of the jazz fusion band Hiroshima; as well as an examination of jazz in Seattle as part of the African America cultural diaspora, with Darelle Holden. Concerts include Piece Of A Dream at Benaroya Hall, and Folks Project at the Triple Door. The festival will be aired across several platforms including The Seattle Channel and social media sites. For details visit jazzinthecity.com.
Jack Straw Winter Online Workshops
Jack Straw Cultural Center continues to offer audio workshops with engineer Tom Stiles, to improve studio skills, or learn more about studio recording and editing. All classes are conducted via Zoom. Classes include Zoom Hosting, Basic Field Recording, Microphone Workshop, and Intro to Digital Audio Editing. Dates are from February 17–March 5. To sign up visit jackstraw.org
Earshot Jazz YouTube Channel Expands
With Earshot Jazz’s foray into the digital world of concert programming, we’ve increased the offerings on our YouTube channel. Over the past few weeks we’ve added videos created during the 2020 Earshot Jazz Festival. Recent additions include excerpts from the Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto, and the Eugenie Jones Quintet. Stay tuned for more. Explore the music at Earshot Jazz YouTube
