John Gilbreath photo by Bill Uznay
They say that summer doesn’t officially start here until the 4th of July. Whatever. That may be the case with the weather, but the summer festival season kicks off, like, right now, and it always brings a whole new dimension to the Pacific Northwest cultural calendar. For jazz fans, the options are deep and wide. Listings can be found in these pages, throughout this season and into the next.
The reigning king of summer jazz events in our region is the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, which is previewed in this issue. The festival is beautifully programmed year after year, and brings a fascinating line-up of international jazz legends to the out-door stages, clubs and concert halls of what is becoming one of the world’s most fascinating international cities. If you haven’t been to Vancouver for a while, make some plans, grab your passport, and go.
Due to its mass and density, the Vancouver festival has sufficient magnetic pull to bring many remarkable touring artists into the area every summer. And because jazz is all about being responsive to tradition and circumstance, we are happy to enjoy the benefits, south of the border, here in Seattle. The first four Earshot Jazz Festivals, from 1989 to 1993, were summer events, positioned to capitalize on the incredible touring activity generated by the concurrent jazz festivals in Victoria, Vancouver, and across Canada. Luckily, the trend continues.
If you can’t go for the full Vancouver press this year, we have an energizing triple shot of it later this month. It’s a triple-double really, with three exciting double-bill concerts June 26-28 at Seattle Art Museum, downtown. We can’t wait.
You can read more about many upcoming jazz events each month here in Earshot Jazz. In fact, by becoming a subscribing member, you can get your copy of Earshot Jazz in the mail each month, and support our concert and education programs. Please join us!
John Gilbreath, Executive Director
