Jacqueline Tabor photo courtesy of the artist
Vito’s Fire GoFundMe
On Sunday June 12, a fire tore through the top floor of the apartments above Vito’s. Luckily, no staff or patrons were injured, the brand new grand piano avoided damage, and they were fortunate to dodge direct fire and smoke damage, but the club still saw extensive water damage. The ceiling was flooded by 20,000 gallons of water, forcing the club to close for the unforeseeable weeks. Fortunately, their insurance covers the damages but it does not cover lost wages. Owners, Greg Lundgren and Jeff Scott, have set up a GoFundMe to support the lost wages of their staff, writing in the campaign, “This is a difficult chapter in Vito’s rich history and we humbly ask you to help support our loyal front and back of house staff. The truth is, Vito’s isn’t worth much without them. They are the glue and the spirit of Vito’s and we hope that you can help us keep this dream team intact.” Visit vitosseattle.com/support to donate to their GoFundMe page.
New Temporary Site for JazzED
Seattle JazzED is on the move! Still on track to open the doors to their permanent home, JazzHouse, in the spring of 2024, they will soon be moving out of the offices and classrooms at the MLK Fame Community Center location where they’ve set up shop in for some time now. Now the jazz education organization is making one more temporary pit stop in the South Lake Union neighborhood this summer and setting up there until JazzHouse is ready. The new location will be at 380 Boren Ave N. More information and updates to come so stay tuned at seattlejazzed.org/building#faq.
Café Nordo Summer Jazz Series
This summer Café Nordo presents their Summer Jazz Series with Artist in Residence: Jacqueline Tabor. Thrice award winner of the Earshot Jazz Vocalist of the Year, Tabor will host live music on select Thursday nights through August in the Culinarium at Nordo. Each night in Tabor’s Jazz Series will feature a special guest musician and be devoted to a theme, such as the July 14 show: Celebrating Bastille Day. Doors open at 6pm, with music starting at 7:30pm. Signature cocktails, wine selections, and succulent bites available throughout the night. For more information visit cafenordo.com/nordo-2022-summer-jazz-series.
New Emergency Funding for WA State Artists
Artist Trust, a 501c3 non-profit that supports working artists of all disciplines in Washington State, announced a new funding program designed to meet Washington State artists’ emergency needs. The Artist Trust Endurance Grants is a new funding program that will provide 40 need-based grants of $2,500 to artists working in all disciplines across Washington who have experienced a career-threatening emergency within 6 months of the application opening, a total investment of $100,000 in artists. The application will open on July 11 and close August 1. In order to center communities disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 and other emergencies, this funding is available to artists who identify with one or more of the following communities: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and/or Native, LGBTQIA+, immunocompromised, with immigrant status, have or are living with a disability, residing outside King County, and/or low income. To learn more visit artisttrust.org/grants/endurance-grants.
Swing in the Park
Head over to Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park this summer for Swing in the Park, an evening public concert series programmed by Kevin Connor, guitarist and bandleader of Swing 3PO. Connor developed Swing in the Park after receiving a grant from the city to host a concert series in a public park in the Central District. Connor will be playing with his quintet, Swing 3PO, on the four following Thursdays from 5-7pm: July 14, July 21, August 4, and August 18. Connor will be debuting a few new originals written for three parts with clarinet, trombone, and guitar. In the band is Dave Loomis (trombone), Jonathan Doyle (sax/clarinet), Mike Daugherty (drums), and Lamar Lofton (bass).
