Sunday, April 23, 2023 | Special Advertising Section 1 R 52 SPONSORED CONTENT PROVIDED BY EARSHOT JAZZ Seattle’s jazz community is widely recognized as one of the most active and effective scenes in the country. From its rich history in the storied Jackson Street era, to the renowned artists living and working here, and the audiences who support them, and on to the award-winning jazz-education programs that assure a bright future for the art form, Seattle has developed a remarkable, self-renewing eco-system for jazz. So much so, that jazz has become part of Seattle’s civic identity. Operating near the center of Seattle’s inter-connected jazz ecology is one of America’s few comprehensive non-profit, jazzsupport organizations, Earshot Jazz. Since 1984, Earshot has documented, supported and presented concerts for Seattle jazz artists and audiences with programs like its free monthly magazine, special artist-centric services and robust, year-round concert presentations, which includes Seattle’s major annual jazz festival each fall. Earshot serves as a conduit for a supportive, effective environment of collaboration that occurs naturally between the artists, educators and students in the city. This chemistry strengthens the local scene, and jazz organizations like Earshot Jazz can serve as a key point of contact for fostering connections, providing venues for affordable shows, and attracting visiting musicians to join in for guest appearances. Alex Dugdale, a teacher in the Shoreline school district, performer and former board member of Earshot Jazz, is the perfect example of the cumulative effects of collaboration in the Seattle jazz scene. “I talk with my students and to other teachers about Seattle jazz and Earshot, and that feeds Local chemistry keeps Seattle’s jazz ecology vibrant Earshot Jazz activates its mission to cultivate a vibrant jazz community to ensure the legacy and progression of the art form by engaging audiences, celebrating artists and supporting arts education. Learn more at www.earshot.org. it,” says Dugdale. “A musician will be friends with one of their educators and send their students to a show and then [the student] will be inspired by this kind of work. It all works together in that way, with the performances as well.” He says this chemistry and communication is critical to keeping enthusiasm and participation alive. Also feeding engagement with the Seattle jazz scene is the Earshot Jazz Festival. This series of concerts, films, discussions and residencies also includes commissions of new work from Seattle artists. “Last year’s festival consisted of over 39 concerts, hundreds of artists and thousands of people in our audience,” says Madison Horn, Earshot Jazz communications and marketing associate. Earshot and the jazz community as a whole, though, are still navigating how to produce in-person events again. Horn offers a reminder that providing accessible concerts is necessary but not free; livestreaming and venue fees are expensive; artists need to be paid respectful wages; discounted and free tickets are essential, but add up. Dugdale also emphasizes the importance of accessibility of jazz music for everyone, regardless of income. He notes that when ticket fees can be subsidized by donors, educators like himself can pay for a bus so he can take his students to go see and experience the show together. Dugdale has also seen a resurgence of appreciation for live performances as things begin to return to a new normal. “Since the live shows have come back, I’ve seen more people at them and more sold-out shows,” he says. There is a newfound joy and curiosity, and live music is no longer taken for granted. In addition to the annual monthlong music festival and year-round concerts, Earshot Jazz is so much more. Major ongoing projects for the organization include the archiving of the Earshot Jazz magazine as it is the main source preserving Seattle’s jazz history; discovering and commissioning new work from resident artists, as well as uplifting the work that other organizations and musicians are doing. Earshot Jazz Executive Director John Gilbreath (back) and 2022 Golden Ear Awardee Nathan Breedlove (front) at the March 2023 Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Awards party (Lisa Hagen Glynn photo) Donate today! Earshot Jazz editor Rayna Mathis and NW Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year Marina Albero at the Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Awards party March 13, 2023. (Jim Levitt photo)
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