John Gilbreath photo by Bill Uznay
This month we are once again delighted to honor the dedication and accomplishments of Seattle’s great jazz artists with the annual Golden Ear and Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame Awards.
Each year, the Golden Ear Awards focus well-deserved attention on the exemplary work of Seattle’s jazz artists, as acknowledged by their peers and audience. Over time, the awards help to document the remarkable legacy of one of America’s most vibrant jazz scenes – ours. As Seattle’s non-profit jazz support organization, Earshot Jazz is proud to have sustained this annual awards program for 26 years. We are convinced of its importance and committed to its success.
From the outside, an awards program like this can help to raise the awareness of a diverse scene like ours, and perhaps introduce new audiences to the individual artists who make it work so well. Hopefully it can also inspire young artists for the future and encourage new presenting opportunities within our region.
From the inside, any awards program – from a local event like this, all the way up to the Grammys and Academy Awards – can inspire the cynicism and scorn of those who are not nominated, and even those who were nominated but do not “win.” That process is both understandable and unfortunate. As the singer Billy Bragg often points out, our own cynicism is our worst enemy.
The Golden Ear Awards are intended to acknowledge important current work by individuals who are dedicating their lives, in whole or in part, to an aspect in our common culture. That is not a small thing. The awards do not claim that one has more value than another. This is an initiative to focus appreciation on individuals who bring cultural value the whole of this world in which we participate.
We invite you to join us at the Royal Room on Monday, March 16, for this 26th edition of the Golden Ears, with your host, Jim Wilke, and deep grooves of Kareem Kandi’s Organ Trio, with Delvon Lamarr. Fun will be had. C’mon!
– John Gilbreath, Executive Director
