Join us for the 36th Annual Earshot Jazz Festival!!!

Year after year, the Earshot festival celebrates Seattle's place in the world of jazz by featuring performances, premieres, and special projects by Seattle's esteemed resident artists alongside international masters.

This year's featured resident artist is SKERIK- a legendary saxophonist, arranger, and studio owner treasured for his work in the Emerald City. Also included in this year's festival is the world premiere of a festival commission from Freddy Fuego that will bend genre, rhythm and harmony to create compelling music. Special projects include workshops (to be announced soon); Garfield, Lincoln and Edmonds-Woodway High School Jazz Bands will take the stage with truly special guests; film screenings; and more. Playlists coming soon for listeners to get a glimpse into each each week of the festival.

Schedule of Events:

October 17, 2024

7:30 pm: What's Going On Festival: Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure (1)

Presented by The South Hudson Music Project. Co-produced by Earshot Jazz, Nonsequitur, Seattle Modern Orchestra. Major funding from The Live Music Society. Additional support from Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4Culture, ArtsFund/Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and The Raynier Foundation.

Seattle Modern Orchestra: Conductive Structures
Compositions by CHARI (World Premiere), Julius Hemphill and Wayne Horvitz, plus "Worst Planet Yet"- a Sun Ra inspired conduction.

Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure
Celebrating the legacies of Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Sun Ra, and Julius Hemphill.
Advance tickets can only be purchased online-we do not sell advance tickets at the venue. Refunds are not available within 48 hours of the event. Tickets do not guarantee seating during shows at the Royal Room.

We are now accepting reservations for diners! After purchasing tickets, please visit the Reservations page to book a table. Table reservations require advance tickets, and are only for guests who plan to dine at the Royal Room.  We do not take reservations over the phone.

Seating for non-diners is first come, first served. Please arrive early to guarantee a seat!

October 18, 2024

7:30 pm: Skerik and Ahamefule J. Oluo Ensemble

This year's Festival Resident Artist is one of Seattle's most versatile, hard-driving, and prolific jazz musicians. The saxophonist known as Skerik is a force to be reckoned with and is not afarid to draw from many musical genres and traditions and combine these disparate musical forces in a myriad of creative ways. Jazz, sludge metal, avant garde electronic, funk, RandB, and rock along with improvised music are all in Skerik's workhouse. Early in his career Skerik worked internationally in London, Paris, and the South Pacific, then headed back to the US to forge collaborations far and wide, from Seattle to New York and New Orleans and everywhere in between.

The list of musicians and ensembles that Skerik has worked with are too numerous to name but a few: Roger Waters, REM, Fred Wesley, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Headhunters, Wayne Horvitz 4+1 Ensemble, New York Composer's Orchestra, Ween, Pearl Jam, Garage A Trois, Stone Gossard, Bonnie Raitt, Bobby Previte's Coalition of the Willing, Critters Buggin, Ani DiFranco, True Loves, Jennifer Hartswick, McTuff, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Scott Amendola, Jeff Parker, and many more. His reach travels even further with the 200 or so records he's contributed to and his music has accompanied both film and theatre.

8:00 pm: Grace Love

Port Townsend-based with Memphis roots, vocalist Grace Love has been performing her authentic, contemporary and soulful rock jazz to today's music scene by challenging music genre boundaries. Performing both across the US and internationally since 2009, Grace Love's sound has a raw and profound perspective. Her gritty new alternative soul fusion sound can be heard on her EP Work in Protest.

With Grace Love's unique and captivating sound, she has garnered a loyal following from the likes of KEXP and NPR who have consistently supported her music. She performed with the Seattle Symphony for a Quincy Jones tribute and then was selected by Quincy himself for a festival curated performance. "She unveils a splendid RNB-Soul journey, led by her powerful and flawless vocal performances. With her relatable lyrical content and sincere interpretations, she brings the music to another level of quality." (The Further).

For this performance Grace Love (vocals), will be joined by Park Evans (guitar), Jason Parker (trumpet), Brian Bermudez (saxophone), Eileen Neff (vocals), Holly Ricciardi (vocals), Kathryn Farrell (vocals), Nate Omdal (bass) and Adrian Van Batenburg (drums).

The Royal Room is now accepting reservations for diners! Follow this link to their online dining reservation page: https://theroyalroomseattle.com/reservations/ Any questions, email [email protected]. Please note that advance concert tickets are required to obtain a table reservation. The Royal Room does not take reservations over the phone.

The Royal Room is all ages till 10:00pm daily, from then on it's 21+. The bar area is 21+ at all times.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

October 19, 2024

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm: Jackson Street Jazz Trail Launch

Come celebrate the launch of the Jackson Street Jazz Trail, a self-guided walking tour of Seattle's historic jazz district. See the unveiling of the new website with a video presentation describing stop on the trail by jazz author Paul de Barros. The trail guides you through the Jackson Street jazz sites, from the vintage murals at the Club Royale in the Chinatown International District to the storied Black and Tan, at the Central District hub of 12th and Jackson. Sign up early and get a personal walking tour of the district.

A selection of vintage photographs from the Jackson Street After Hours exhibit will be on hand, as well as live music featuring Darelle Holden and her ensemble, refreshments and testimonials from a selection of representatives of the many organizations that made the Jackson Street Jazz Trail happen: Earshot Jazz, The Black Heritage Society, Friends of Little Saigon, Wing Luke Museum and the Jackson Street Music Program.

7:30 pm: Garfield High School Plays Sun Ra and Lincoln High School Plays Wayne Shorter and Carla Bley

Two talented local high school jazz bands take on music from the outer edges. Garfield High School, directed by Jared Sessink, will play music from Sun Ra's swinging, akilter big band music, and other charts, and Lincoln High School directed by Zachariah MacIntyre and assisted by startling saxophonist Neil Welch, will play music from Wayne Shorter and Carla Bley. Joining them as a guest artist is keyboard master Wayne Horvitz who has played a key role in sparking radical departures from traditional Basie/Ellington fare among high school jazz bands, expanding horizons for the next generation of Seattle jazz.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

8:00 pm: Jenny Scheinman All Species Parade

Welcomed by KBCS. Supported in part by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jenny Scheinman is a violinist, fiddler, singer, and writer of songs with and without words. She grew up on a homestead in Northern California and has been performing since she was a teenager. Scheinman has worked extensively with some of the most innovative jazz artists in the world such as Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, Brian Blade, Nels Cline, and Marc Ribot.

Scheinman has released eight albums of original music. Her latest album All Species Parade was recorded in three days at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn featuring lifelong collaborators Carmen Staaf, Tony Scherr, Kenny Wollesen, Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, and Julian Lage. The album composed by Scheinman over the course of three summers, is a tribute to the wild diversity of the Pacific Northwest. A triptych, the album explores themes of home and place, nature, colonialism, assimilation, fortification, and closure. "It employs the powers of improvisation to make a case for diversity-in sound, in nature, and in American culture"

On an earlier album Here on Earth, Downbeat exudes awe for Scheinman-as a "meticulous interpreter of emotion and a composer of cinematic vision and scope."

For this concert celebrating her new album, Scheinman will be performing with Carmen Staaf (piano), Adam Ratner (guitar), Mark Ferber (drums), and a bass player tba.

The Royal Room is now accepting reservations for diners! Follow this link to their online dining reservation page: https://theroyalroomseattle.com/reservations/ Any questions, email [email protected]. Please note that advance concert tickets are required to obtain a table reservation. The Royal Room does not take reservations over the phone.

The Royal Room is all ages till 10:00pm daily, from then on it's 21+. The bar area is 21+ at all times.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

October 20, 2024

2:30 pm: Andy Clausen

New York-based trombonist, Andy Clausen is a composer, producer, and educator whose most often known here in Seattle for his work as a member of the all brass quartet, The Westerlies but for his performance with the Earshot Jazz Festival, Clausen will be performing solo. His most recent album offering-Few Ill Words: Solo Trombone at The TANK, Vol. 1-is a testament to his remarakable skill as a an innovator and a soloist. Recorded at a converted railroad water silo now known as the TANK Center for Sonic Arts in Rangely, CO, Clausen presents new original works alongside existing repertoire spanning five centuries of musical history. From medieval chant, to shape-note hymns, to Ellington ballads, to works from contemporary composers Nico Muhly and Jeff Beal, and sonic meditations from Pauline Oliveros. For this concert expect the unexpected.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Clausen served as principal conductor and Artistic Director for Jazz at New York Youth Symphony from 2016-2023, and in 2021 joined the faculty of The New School as an Artist in Residence and professor of trombone and composition.

Raisbeck Auditorium is a new performance space at Cornish College of the Arts. Not to be confused with the older Raisbeck Performance Hall next door, the new auditorium is located in the Ivey building on the corner of Lenora St and Boren Ave.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

7:30 pm: Jenny Scheinman All Species Parade

Welcomed by KBCS. Supported in part by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jenny Scheinman is a violinist, fiddler, singer, and writer of songs with and without words. She grew up on a homestead in Northern California and has been performing since she was a teenager. Scheinman has worked extensively with some of the most innovative jazz artists in the world such as Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, Brian Blade, Nels Cline, and Marc Ribot.

Scheinman has released eight albums of original music. Her latest album All Species Parade was recorded in three days at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn featuring lifelong collaborators Carmen Staaf, Tony Scherr, Kenny Wollesen, Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, and Julian Lage. The album composed by Scheinman over the course of three summers, is a tribute to the wild diversity of the Pacific Northwest. A triptych, the album explores themes of home and place, nature, colonialism, assimilation, fortification, and closure. "It employs the powers of improvisation to make a case for diversity-in sound, in nature, and in American culture"

On an earlier album Here on Earth, Downbeat exudes awe for Scheinman-as a "meticulous interpreter of emotion and a composer of cinematic vision and scope."

For this concert celebrating her new album, Scheinman will be performing with Carmen Staaf (piano), Adam Ratner (guitar), Mark Ferber (drums), and a bass player tba.

The Royal Room is now accepting reservations for diners! Follow this link to their online dining reservation page: https://theroyalroomseattle.com/reservations/ Any questions, email [email protected]. Please note that advance concert tickets are required to obtain a table reservation. The Royal Room does not take reservations over the phone.

The Royal Room is all ages till 10:00pm daily, from then on it's 21+. The bar area is 21+ at all times.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

8:00 pm: Samantha Boshnack's Uncomfortable Subjects

Samantha Boshnack's Uncomfortable Subjects is a genre-busting song cycle for a 13-piece ensemble, featuring a wide-ranging cast of some of Seattle's most exciting musicians and artists. Created during the pandemic, with a delayed premiere, Samantha Boshnack's Uncomfortable Subjects expands Boshnack's trademark interlocking grooves and instrumental explorations into complex lyrical and conversational territories.

The project was conceived in February 2020, when Boshnack brought together artist/writer/community builder Natasha Marin and Pushcart Prize-winning poet Jane Wong to engage in two- and three-way correspondences about "uncomfortable subjects." The resulting project, created during the turbulent ensuing years, embraces challenging topics like race, family trauma, climate crisis, mental illness, covid isolation, and the tensions of making art, charting the artists' journeys to find peace, strength, and encouragement in a shifting landscape.

Boshnack's acclaimed previous work has assembled a world-ranging cohort of musical collaborators (Global Concertos, 2016); surfaced historic feminist journalism (Nellie Bly Project, 2017); and explored geologic instability (Seismic Belt Live in Santa Monica, 2019). Her projects include her chamber orchestra B'shnorkestra (Go to Orange, 2013); Sam Boshnack Quintet (Exploding Syndrome, 2014); numerous releases with composers' collective Alchemy Sound Project and postmodern outfit Reptet; and commissions from Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Karin Stevens Dance, Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, and Mutual Mentorship for Musicians.

The evening's performers include: Johnaye Kendrick (voice), Joshua Kohl (conducting),  Alex Guy and Alina To (violin), Heather Bentley (viola), Gretchen Yanover (cello), Carlos Snaider (guitar/percussion), Chris Symer (bass), Chris Credit (tenor saxophone/bass clarinet), Leanna Keith (flute), Bhavani Kotha (oboe), Greg Campbell (percussion/french horn), and  Samantha Boshnack (trumpet/compositions). This performance will also feature live remarks from Jane Wong.

Raisbeck Auditorium is a new performance space at Cornish College of the Arts. Not to be confused with the older Raisbeck Performance Hall next door, the new auditorium is located in the Ivey building on the corner of Lenora St and Boren Ave.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

October 22, 2024

7:30 pm: Gabriel Teodros/ AfroCop

Gabriel Teodros, is an MC/Producer from South Seattle who released From the Ashes of Our Homes late last year, followed by Embers this past May. Ashes opens with a reflection on the day Teodros fled from an actual house fire, and expands to a full-length meditation on the loss of home and safety so many of us experienced recently as a result of wars, the pandemic, the climate catastrophe, and more -and how to build something new from the ashes of all of our collective homes. October 2024 also marks 10 years since the release of one of Teodros' most celebrated albums, Evidence of Things Not Seen, which will see it's first vinyl release just in time for Earshot Jazz. For tonight's lineup we have Gabriel Teodros on vocals, Camilo Estrada on bass, Chris Patin on drums Darrius Willrich on keys, and Ahamefule J. Oluo on trumpet

Opening for Teodros tonight is another Seattle stalwart, Afrocop, described by The Stranger as "psychadelic soul jazz shape-shifters." The trio, known for their dynamic creativity, includes keyboardist Noel Brass Jr., drummer Andy Sells, and bassist Carlos Tulloss. Flamboyant and versatile they can beautify the background like ambient masters, get up with it à la Miles Davis' filthiest electric-era band, or fling you into deepest, fusionoid space on a nanosecond's notice. Their latest album is the self-titled Afrocop.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

October 23, 2024

7:30 pm: Freddy "Fuego" Gonzalez

Freddy "Fuego" Gonzalez  the New York-raised, Seattle-based multi-instrumentalist (trombone, trumpet, flute, keys; and host of Jazz Caliente on KNKX) presents his latest work, an Earshot commission. Composing for film, orchestra and small combos, he melds influences from hip-hop, reggae, funk, rock and orchestral music, always innovative and exploratory.

Fuego received his Master's degree in film scoring from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain. During his time in New York, he has collaborated with  B.B. King, Groundation, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Collie Buddz, De La Soul, Styles P, Fred Wesley, Delfeayo Marsalis, Arturo O'Farrill, Bobby Sanabria, and the Wu-Tang Clan among others. Internationally, Fuego has worked with Alejandro Sanz, Juan Luis Guerra, Ruben Blades, Laura Pausini, and Rosalia. Now based in Seattle, Fugeo has worked with Marina Albero, D'Vonne Lewis, the SRJO, Beserat Tafesse, Marina Christopher, Carter Eng, Davy Nefos, Marissa Kall, and many others.

For this performance with Earshot Jazz Fuego will be joined by  an ensemble of local musicians. Stay tuned for more details.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

7:30 pm: What's Going On Festival: Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure (2)

Julius Hemphill's Dogon A.D.
Hemphill's iconic 1975 recording with D'Vonne Lewis, Peggy Lee, Stephanie Richards and Marty Ehrlich.

St. Louis, Chicago, LA and New York: A Conduction
Re-imagining the music of Cecil Taylor, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sun Ra, Julius Hemphill, Carla Bley and Ornette Coleman. With members of The Royal Room Collective Music Ensemble and special guests.

Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure
Celebrating the legacies of Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Sun Ra, and Julius Hemphill. Advance tickets can only be purchased online-we do not sell advance tickets at the venue. Refunds are not available within 48 hours of the event. Tickets do not guarantee seating during shows at the Royal Room.

We are now accepting reservations for diners! After purchasing tickets, please visit the Reservations page to book a table. Table reservations require advance tickets, and are only for guests who plan to dine at the Royal Room.  We do not take reservations over the phone.

8:00 pm: Skerik-solo

With Blazinspace (aka Gardenia Theroux) transforming the space with immersive digital projections, Skerik, Festival Resident Artist, performs solo saxophone with a complex multiple EFX system based around harmonizers and a balanced continuous matrix routing system. Those allow him to program effects in multiple arrays and create up to nine independent voices through one saxophone. He constructs dynamic, symphonic improvisations inspired by such composers and improvisers as Wayne Shorter, Ornette Coleman, Olivier Messiaen, and Steve Reich.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

October 24, 2024

7:30 pm: What's Going On Festival: Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure (3)

Kin of the Moon Open Strings Orchestra
An improvising chamber strings ensemble. Conduction by Wayne Horvitz and Stephanie Richards with special guests: Peggy Lee, Leanna Keith, Robin Holcomb, and Darius Jones.

Julius Hemphill: The Saxophone Sextets
Marty Ehrlich, Skerik, Darius Jones, Neil Welch, Alex Dugdale and Jory Tindall.

Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure
Celebrating the legacies of Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Sun Ra, and Julius Hemphill. Advance tickets can only be purchased online-we do not sell advance tickets at the venue. Refunds are not available within 48 hours of the event. Tickets do not guarantee seating during shows at the Royal Room.

We are now accepting reservations for diners! After purchasing tickets, please visit the Reservations page to book a table. Table reservations require advance tickets, and are only for guests who plan to dine at the Royal Room.  We do not take reservations over the phone.

7:30 pm: Riley Mulherkar

Riley Mulherkar, as on his recent Riley - "über hip, modern yet timeless… one of the best debut records to come out in a long, long time" Downbeat) - the trumpeter of The Westerlies (one of Downbeat's recently announced "25 for the Future") appears with Chris Pattishall (piano, programming/sound design), Joshua Crumbly (bass) and Jason Burger (drums).

Mulherkar grew up in the Seattle jazz ecosystem, studying under Robert Knatt at Washington Middle School and Clarence Acox at Garfield High, as well as being mentored by Wayne Horvitz. Mulherkar shares his deep admiration for the jazz tradition amidst a sonically modern setting, to create vulnerable, melodious interpretations.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

October 25, 2024

7:30 pm: What's Going On Festival: Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure (4)

Julius Hemphill: Compositions for Jazz Orchestra
Selected works for large ensemble with members of The Royal Room Collective Music Ensemble and guests.

Electric Circus: "Nublu"
Electric Circus celebrates the NYC Nublu residency. Butch Morris and the conduction of groove.

Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure
Celebrating the legacies of Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Sun Ra, and Julius Hemphill.

8:00 pm: Day Soul Exquisite

Day Soul Exquisite is a 6 piece band who has spent the last 3 years recording and performing original music throughout the Pacific Northwest. Formed during the pandemic, they explore sound as a means of collective healing.

French and Congolese singer/guitarist Francesca Eluhu started the project in 2021 by posting flyers around the Central District in Seattle. She found kindred spirits in Zora Seboulisa (bass), Josh Pehrson (drums), Lillian Minke Tahar (keys), Thomas Arndt (percussion) and Xiomara Mills-DuPree (sax).

Their debut record, Sanguine and Cardamom, was released in January 2024 and was on KEXP's top 10 most played albums for 2 consecutive weeks. The EP explores self-actualization in the face of adversity and shares vulnerable introspection about moving through the world as a queer person of color.

As a group of multi-instrumentalists from diverse backgrounds, they embrace their multitudes. Day Soul Exquisite encompasses many marginalized identities–Black, Queer, Trans, Asian, Non-Binary and Disabled. Their mission is to amplify disenfranchised voices and create music that reflects their embodied values of equity, freedom and mutual aid. As Dave Segal notes "they're something special. This queer/BIPOC-centric group proved that they could segue from liquid sunshiny funk/soul to militant free jazz with preternatural poise." The Stranger

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

8:00 pm: SHABAKA

The London-born, Barbados-raised multi-instrumentalist, Shabaka Hutchings, best known from Sons of Kemet, here creates stunning, genre-transcending music spanning Afro-Caribbean fusion, London dance music club culture, and the rich South African jazz tradition "all within the freedom afforded by the legacy of the American ‘jazz' tradition," he says. Deploying flutes of globe-ranging cultures, and with ethereal elements such as harp, he constructs transporting "sonic poems."

Over the course of the past decade, the lion's share of his touring and recorded work has been with three bands: Sons of Kemet, The Comet is Coming, and Shabaka and the Ancestors, but Shabaka has always been open to change. His musical exploration includes employing a variety of flutes, including the ancient Japanese Shakuhachi, Mayan Teotihuacan drone flutes, Brazilian Pifanos, Native American flutes, and South American Quenas. On New Year's Day 2023, in the wake of the release of his 2022 debut EP, Afrikan Culture (which notably featured the artist primarily on flutes), Shabaka announced that beginning in 2024 he'd take a hiatus from playing the saxophone publicly.

Shabaka's most recent album is Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace (Impulse 2024). Artists included on the album include pianist Jason Moran, percussionist Carlos Niño, drummer Nasheet Waits, and bassist Esperanza Spalding, as well as vocalists Saul Williams and Lianne La Havas among others. Like in previous albums the titles of the songs have significant meaning that Shabaka hopes will resonate with listeners as much as the music does. He coined the term "sonic poems" to capture the concept. As Shabaka explains, "each track title reads as a poem. Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace follows in this tradition of titles as symbolising a narrative which is necessarily subjective and expansive in relation to the listener's experience with the heard music."

October 26, 2024

3:00 pm: BOOMscat (Workshop)

Join BOOMscat as they take you on a journey through creating music unplanned, unrehearsed and unrevised.

The Washington, DC based Peace Body Roll Duo BOOMscat journey meditatively through life, love, and relationships. Multi-instrumentalist/producer, Asha Santee (BOOM), and vocalist/songwriter Jennifer Patience Rowe (scat) create a sound that ignites vulnerability, elevation and self-reflection.

BOOMscat have released two albums-The West Wing Project (2014), and Kinetic (2018) along with an EP XXXMAS (2018). Their EP No Life Jacket reached #18 on Itunes, RnB albums. The Examiner describes their work-"it's acoustic, it's introspective, sexy and inviting while being forward and a little bit shy."

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: World of Repair: SAARC Jazz Night

Join Seattle African American Reparations Committee (SAARC) and Earshot Jazz for a night of live music and civic conversation at World of Repair! Celebrate Seattle's rich jazz legacy while learning why reparations to local Black communities are a crucial civic issue. The lineup features Robin Rue Simmons, Larry Gossett, Rep. Jamila Taylor, and more. Don't miss this unforgettable evening of jazz, community, and action!

8:00 pm: BOOMscat

The Washington, DC based Peace Body Roll Duo BOOMscat journey meditatively through life, love, and relationships. Multi-instrumentalist/producer, Asha Santee (BOOM), and vocalist/songwriter Jennifer Patience Rowe (scat) create a sound that ignites vulnerability, elevation and self-reflection.

BOOMscat have released two albums-The West Wing Project (2014), and Kinetic (2018) along with an EP XXXMAS (2018). Their EP No Life Jacket reached #18 on Itunes, RnB albums. The Examiner describes their work-"it's acoustic, it's introspective, sexy and inviting while being forward and a little bit shy."

8:00 pm: Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade: Legacy of Wayne Shorter, with special guest Mark Turner

Four masters tribute the late, legendary jazz composer and saxophonist - their bandleader over 24 years of acclaimed concerts and Grammy Award winning recordings. Danilo Perez (piano), John Patitucci (bass), and Brian Blade (drums) - with special guest Mark Turner, one of the most influential saxophonists of his generation - freely interpret Shorter's compositions, honoring his pivotal contributions to jazz. Seattle fans may recall Shorter's unforgettable 2015 performance at Benaroya Hall with these three players in his quartet.

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

October 27, 2024

7:30 pm: Myra Melford Fire and Water Quintet

Five of the top woman improvisers in jazz in a state-of-the-art group led by Myra Melford the transcendent pianist (and melodica player). She joins Mary Halvorson (guitar), Ingrid Laubrock (saxophones), Tomeka Reid (cello), and Lesley Mok (drums), all compelling creators who make Melford's compositions "welcoming, suffused with melody and feeling, rooted in both Monk and Bartok, open to plateaus of contemplative beauty" (NY Times).

Earshot Jazz COVID-19 Policy: Earshot recommends that all ticket holders be vaccinated. Policy subject to change. Full COVID policy here.

8:00 pm: Skerik Quartet featuring Johnaye Kendrick

Skerik the saxophonist demonstrates in this quartet that he embraces a very wide array of musical styles and developments, all riveting. With Tim Kennedy (piano), D'Vonne Lewis (drums), Geoff Harper (bass), and award-winning vocalist Johnaye Kendrick, Skerik (saxophone), leads an acoustic quartet whose performances in the past have included original compositions and covers from Wayne Shorter, Gil Evans, Pharoah Sanders, John Coltrane, Dudu Pukwana, Fleet Foxes, Bobby Timmons, and more.

The Royal Room is now accepting reservations for diners! Follow this link to their online dining reservation page: https://theroyalroomseattle.com/reservations/ Any questions, email [email protected]. Please note that advance concert tickets are required to obtain a table reservation. The Royal Room does not take reservations over the phone.

October 29, 2024

7:30 pm: Flat Earth Society Orchestra

Flat Earth Society (FES), the Belgian mega-big band of 15 players, founded and led by Peter Vermeersch, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. It creates riveting, wildly entertaining music, smart and political. The madhouse maximalist juggernaut ensemble, with dazzling chops honed over 25 years, is wildly innovative, complex, incendiary, and as tight as a fine classical orchestra. Expect jazz of unrivaled spirit and verve from this thrilling and friendly eclectic behemoth. FES is touring North America with their new album THE ONE.

They mix the rich Northwest European brass band tradition with oddball topsy-turvy creativity. Taking Belgian whimsy to a logical, irresistible extreme FES straddles the border between multi-color surrealism and savvy skill. Composer, reed player, producer and bandleader Peter Vermeersch, co-piloted by pianist and composer Peter Vandenberghe, have shaped their 15-piece orchestra into one of the most productive and thrilling bands of its kind. While Flat Earth Society's compositions and arrangements betray 20th century traditions-from jazz to rock, exotica and contemporary music-they embody a decidedly forward-looking 21st century spirit. Quick-witted, effortlessly eccentric and always on the lookout for new challenges, Flat Earth Society is that rare beast: a constantly evolving orchestra that is most in its natural environment at a live show.

The ensemble includes: Gert-Jan Dreessen, drums; Peter Vandenberghe, piano and keyboards; Kristof Roseeuw, double bass; Maarten Flamand, guitar; Wim Segers, vibraphone; Bart Maris, trumpet; Jon Birdsong, trumpet; Peter Delannoye, trombone; Marc Meeuwissen, trombone; Berlinde Deman, tuba; Peter Vermeersch, (bass) clarinet and electronix; Martí Melià, (bass) clarinet; Bruno Vansina, baritone sax and flute; Sylvain Debaisieux, alto sax; and Michel Mast, tenor sax.

October 30, 2024

7:00 pm: Space Is The Place (Film 10/30)

Northwest Film Forum (NWFF) and Earshot Jazz team together once again to bring you an exciting look into the the world of jazz visionary Sun Ra. Avant-jazz mystic Sun Ra brought his pioneering Afrofuturist vision to the screen with this film version of his concept album. It's a wild, kaleidoscopic whirl of science fiction, sharp social commentary, goofy pseudo-blaxploitation stylistics, and thrilling concert performance, in which the pharaonic Ra and his Arkestra lead an intergalactic movement to resettle the Black race on their utopian space colony.

Please note this film is part of a series. The film will air on October 30 and October 31 at 7:00PM PDT. Tickets sold separately.

NWFF patrons will be strongly encouraged to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. Recent variants of COVID-19 readily infect and spread between individuals regardless of vaccination status.

7:30 pm: Jessica Ackerley Trio / Syrinx Effect

Canadian, Jessica Ackerley, is noted as "one of the most exciting guitarists to have emerged from the US free music scene in recent years" (Wire Magazine). Ackerley, who now resides in Honolulu seeks a "dialogue between sound and personal, emotive experience." Their music draws upon the spirit of avant garde jazz while taking a nod from experimental rock, ambient, and contemporary classical. Their latest record, All Of the Colours Are Singing is out on AKP Recordings. For tonight's concert Ackerley will be joined by Walter Stinson, upright bass, and Aaron Edgcomb, drums.

Opening for Ackerley is Syrinx Effect, the duo of Kate Olson (saxophone) and making a much-anticipated return to Seattle-Naomi Moon Siegel (trombone/effects). Syrinx is the organ that songbirds have instead of a larynx; it has high and low resonating chambers, which allows a songbird to warble. Syrinx effect is a duo project that explores the boundaries of jazz and free improvisation, inspired by artists like Björk, Joni Mitchell, Gladys Knight, Wayne Shorter, and Don Drummond.

*The Royal Room is now accepting reservations for diners! Follow this link to their online dining reservation page: https://theroyalroomseattle.com/reservations/ Any questions, email [email protected]. Please note that advance concert tickets are required to obtain a table reservation. The Royal Room does not take reservations over the phone.

8:00 pm: Bill Anschell Standards Trio

Bill Anschell one of the region's finest jazz pianists, appears with one of the most outstanding rhythm sections: Jeff Johnson (bass) and D'Vonne Lewis (drums). The trio is known for its spontaneous, turn-on-a-dime approach to standards, both well-loved and more obscure, and always looks to take tunes from its large repertoire into the unknown. The Standards Trio performed regularly at the late, lamented Tula's nightclub - proprietor Mack Waldron chose these three Seattle stars to play the venue's final notes.

Cornish Playhouse, Alhadeff Studio Theater is a performance space at the north end of the Seattle Center. It is located on 201 Mercer St. Please note that the venue has changed. This concert was originally programmed at Cornish Raisbeck Auditorium.

October 31, 2024

7:00 pm: Space Is The Place (Film 10/31)

Northwest Film Forum (NWFF) and Earshot Jazz team together once again to bring you an exciting look into the the world of jazz visionary Sun Ra. Avant-jazz mystic Sun Ra brought his pioneering Afrofuturist vision to the screen with this film version of his concept album. It's a wild, kaleidoscopic whirl of science fiction, sharp social commentary, goofy pseudo-blaxploitation stylistics, and thrilling concert performance, in which the pharaonic Ra and his Arkestra lead an intergalactic movement to resettle the Black race on their utopian space colony.

Please note this film is part of a series. The film will air on October 30 and October 31 at 7:00PM PDT. Tickets sold separately.

NWFF patrons will be strongly encouraged to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. Recent variants of COVID-19 readily infect
and spread between individuals regardless of vaccination status

8:00 pm: The Vijay Iyer Trio Featuring Linda May Han Oh and Jeremy Dutton

Vijay Iyer, the pianist, described as a "social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway" (NYTimes), is a MacArthur Fellow, Doris Duke Performing Artist, Grammy nominee, and leading voice of his generation, as demonstrated again this year on Compassion (ECM). It showcases his trio featuring Grammy award-winning bassist Linda May Han Oh. On this Earshot date, they're joined by drummer Jeremy Dutton, the rhythmic force behind acclaimed recordings by the likes of Joel Ross, James Francies, and Gerald Clayton.

November 1, 2024

7:30 pm: Ryan Keberle Catharsis w/ Edmonds-Woodway High School Jazz Band

Ryan Keberle, Jazz Times's 2020 Trombonist of the Year leads a band that the Los Angeles Times hailed as a "potent blend of cinematic sweep and lush, ear-grabbing melodies" for its thrilling merger of jazz, chamber music, South American folk and indie rock. The band, which includes guitarist/vocalist Camila Meza, Mike Rodriguez (trumpet), Ike Sturm (bass), and Jimmy Macbride (drums), will workshop with the Edmonds-Woodway Jazz Band (directed by Jake Bergevin), in the afternoon and then present an evening concert. The evening concert will be open to the public.

The Ryan Keberle and Catharsis performance is supported through a Chamber Music America Presenter Consortium for Jazz grant, a component of the Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.

7:30 pm: What's Going On Festival: Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure (5)

Jazz in Silhouette
The classic 1959 swing album of Sun Ra and his Arkestra. Featuring Sun Ra alum Vincent Chancey.

Hip Hop and its Elders
Connecting the dots between the samples and structures of hip-hop and jazz in the post-Coltrane era. Thaddeus Turner, Darrius Willrich and special guests Brandon Ross, Vincent Chancey and Sara Schoenbeck.

Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure
Celebrating the legacies of Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Sun Ra, and Julius Hemphill.

9:00 pm: Khu.eex'

Preston Singletary (bass), Sondra Segundo (vocals) Captain Raab (guitar), Arias Hoyle (vocals) and other members of the Tlingit, Haida, and Blackfoot tribes, convenes Khu.eex', Tlingit for "potlatch." Inspired by the music of his Alaskan forebears (which the revered glass artist Singletary memorialized in a 2022-23 exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian, "Raven and the Box of Daylight," which toured nationally). Singletary and his jazz-funk collaborators create "songs that soar with a profound spirituality and exudes celebratory vibrations" (Dave Segal, The Stranger).

Khu.eex' 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. Their focus is raising awareness of social issues, stemming from the Native American struggle, issues that affect all people. Khu.eex' are bringing a much-needed Indigenous perspective while keeping their tribal culture and endangered ancient languages alive through music, storytelling and art. Their latest album released this year, is Siyáadlan.

November 2, 2024

2:30 pm: Ryan Keberle Catharsis

Ryan Keberle, Jazz Times's 2020 Trombonist of the Year leads a band that the Los Angeles Times hailed as a "potent blend of cinematic sweep and lush, ear-grabbing melodies" for its thrilling merger of jazz, chamber music, South American folk and indie rock. The band, which includes guitarist/vocalist Camila Meza, Mike Rodriguez (trumpet), Ike Sturm (bass), and Jimmy Macbride (drums), guarantee drama and intrigue.

The Ryan Keberle and Catharsis performance is supported through a Chamber Music America Presenter Consortium for Jazz grant, a component of the Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.

 Raisbeck Auditorium is a new performance space at Cornish College of the Arts. Not to be confused with the older Raisbeck Performance Hall next door, the new auditorium is located in the Ivey building on the corner of Lenora St and Boren Ave.

4:00 pm: What's Going On: Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure (Workshop)

Presented by The South Hudson Music Project. Co-produced by Earshot Jazz, Nonsequitur, Seattle Modern Orchestra. Major funding from The Live Music Society. Additional support from Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4Culture, ArtsFund/Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and The Raynier Foundation.

Workshop: Conduction for the people!
An audience participatory event on the principles of conduction and approaches to new improvisation.

Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure
Celebrating the legacies of Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Sun Ra, and Julius Hemphill.

6:30 pm: Nduduzo Makhathini Trio (Early Show)

A rare opportunity to hear the transcendent pianist and vocalist South Africa pianist Nduduzo Makathini with his trio in an intimate setting. The Blue Note recording artist, deeply influenced by such countrymen as Abdullah Ibrahim and the great American jazz legends, too, has pursued "a kind of playing that could mirror or evoke the way my people danced, sung, and spoke," he says. His telepathic trio has Zwelakhe-Duma Bell Le Pere on bass and Kabelo Boy Mokhatla on drums. Two shows - at 6:30pm and 8:30pm (tickets sold separately to each show)

Raisbeck Auditorium is a new performance space at Cornish College of the Arts. Not to be confused with the older Raisbeck Performance Hall next door, the new auditorium is located in the Ivey building on the corner of Lenora St and Boren Ave.

November 3, 2024

2:30 pm: Marina Albero Featuring Yusa/Roosevelt High School Jazz Band (Matinee)

The phenomenal Marina Albero, an award-winning, passionate composer, pianist, and community organizer (also on keytar and hammered dulcimer), releases her latest album, A Nomad of Sound, showing again why she took 2022 Golden Ears Instrumentalist and Concert of the Year honors. Joining her is a Cuban artist she has recently recorded her new album with in New Orleans: internationally acclaimed Cuban bassist, singer and composer, Yusa (also on guitar and vocals). Also along is talented vocalist Serena, Albero's daughter, traveling from Spain for the occasion. Anticipate original vibrant music infused with Caribbean and Spanish rhythms and a magical mother-daughter partnership. With Jackson Cotugno (saxophone), Kelsey Mines (bass) and Christopher Icasiano (drums). The "inventive and effusive pianist" (KNKX) and band. The award-winning Roosevelt High School Jazz Band led by Hannah Mowry, will open the concert.

The concert with Marina Albero Featuring Yusa/Roosevelt High School Jazz Band will be performed twice on the same day: at 2:30PM and at 7:30PM. Tickets sold separately to each concert. Livestream is available for the 7:30PM concert only.

7:30 pm: Marina Albero Featuring Yusa/ Roosevelt High School Jazz Band (Evening)

The phenomenal Marina Albero, an award-winning, passionate composer, pianist, and community organizer (also on keytar and hammered dulcimer), releases her latest album, A Nomad of Sound, showing again why she took 2022 Golden Ears Instrumentalist and Concert of the Year honors. Joining her is a Cuban artist she has recently recorded her new album with in New Orleans: internationally acclaimed Cuban bassist, singer and composer, Yusa (also on guitar and vocals). Also along is talented vocalist Serena, Albero's daughter, traveling from Spain for the occasion. Anticipate original vibrant music infused with Caribbean and Spanish rhythms and a magical mother-daughter partnership. With Jackson Cotugno (saxophone), Kelsey Mines (bass) and Christopher Icasiano (drums). The "inventive and effusive pianist" (KNKX) and band. The award-winning Roosevelt High School Jazz Band led by Hannah Mowry, will open the concert.

The concert with Marina Albero Featuring Yusa / Roosevelt High School Jazz Band will be performed twice on the same day: at 2:30PM and at 7:30PM. Tickets sold separately to each concert.

7:30 pm: What's Going On: Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure (7)

Presented by The South Hudson Music Project. Co-produced by Earshot Jazz, Nonsequitur, Seattle Modern Orchestra. Major funding from The Live Music Society. Additional support from Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4Culture, ArtsFund/Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and The Raynier Foundation.

Manual de Ritmo de Percusion con Sen?as
An all percussion orchestra using a conduction system for rhythm. Inspired by Butch Morris and created by Santiago Va?squez.

Dust to Dust: The songs of Butch Morris
Butch Morris, the composer of gorgeous instrumental songs. Inspired by Morris' 1991 New World recording "Dust to Dust."

Conduction, Improvisation, and the Culture of Structure
Celebrating the legacies of Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Sun Ra, and Julius Hemphill.

Date: October 17 - November 3, 2024

Location: Various Venues In Seattle, WA

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