Earshot Jazz

Mission: Earshot Jazz cultivates a vibrant jazz community by engaging audiences, celebrating artists, and supporting arts education to ensure the legacy and progression of the art form.

Vision: Jazz is widely embraced and highly valued as America’s great gift to world culture

Core Values: Respect Artists, Prioritize Accessibility, Pursue Collaboration, Champion Education, Honor Diversity, and Nurture Creativity

Jazz is right at home in Seattle. The parallels are many. Jazz honors its foundations with a fluid adaptation to changing surroundings. Seattle is a fast-growing creative community with a focus on innovation and excellence. The Earshot Jazz organization has affirmed that connection for 34 years by celebrating the African-American heritage and the global expansion of jazz through four interconnected program areas:

Presentation: Among our 100 annual concerts are the Earshot Jazz Festival, Seattle’s major annual jazz festival, the Art of Jazz series at SAM, a Spring Series, the annual concert of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music, and the Jazz: The Second Century series presenting original work by Seattle artists in a concert setting.

Publication: Over 1 million copies of the monthly Earshot Jazz magazine, containing reviews, previews and profiles on resident artists by Seattle writers, have been distributed free of charge locally since 1984.

Education: Earshot Jazz produces workshops, master classes, panels and artist engagements for students and audiences of all ages and levels. Our Roots of Jazz education programs have engaged over 45,000 students in Washington State.

Leadership and Special Projects: We commission new work, produce an annual awards program, curate regional festivals, and provide grant and technical assistance to artists.