Earshot Jazz Festival 2003

Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 23:27:28 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.music.bluenote
Size: 5,253 bytes

MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: John Gilbreath, Earshot Jazz, (206) 547-6763 and
email-address-deleted
Photos and music available on request The 15th EARSHOT JAZZ FESTIVAL, "SEATTLE'S MOST IMPORTANT ANNUAL JAZZ
EVENT"(Down Beat), runs OCTOBER 24th - NOVEMBER 15th.
The 2003 Earshot Jazz Festival kicks off October 24th and continues
through November 15th with more than 40 concerts in venues all around
the Seattle area.
This 15th Anniversary edition is shaping up to be one of the most
exciting jazz festivals Seattle has ever seen. The event, Seattle's
major annual jazz festival, is presented by the non-profit
jazz-support organization, Earshot Jazz. This year it features return
visits by international artists Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland, Jessica
Williams, David Murray, and Joshua Redman; and first-time Earshot
concerts by Ravi Coltrane, Mavis Staples, Terence Blanchard, and
Virginia Rodrigues. The festival brings important musicians from
around the world and presents many of Seattle's finest jazz artists in
a world-class festival setting.
Praised as "one of the best festivals in America" the Earshot Jazz
Festival is eagerly anticipated by Seattle jazz fans. The event is
respected for honoring the deep heritage of jazz while celebrating the
leading edges of the art form. This year's festival presents more than
170 artists in performance and educational settings, in more than 15
concert halls, clubs, schools, and community centers throughout the
Seattle area.
There are many highlights of this year's festival. The spectacular
"Standards Trio" of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette,
returns to Seattle celebrating its 20th year; and gospel great Mavis
Staples performs her tribute to the legendary spirituals singer,
Mahalia Jackson. Bill Frisell's diverse group, the Intercontinentals,
which premiered at the Earshot festival two years ago, will perform on
November 8th. And bassist Dave Holland's Quintet, one of the finest
groups in jazz, returns to the Earshot Jazz Festival by popular
demand.
Exciting new ensembles from saxophonists Joshua Redman and Ravi
Coltrane, and trumpeter Terence Blanchard, are sure to draw
enthusiastic audiences. There will be "big band" concerts by the
all-star Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra with special guest Slide
Hampton, and there will be intimate small-ensemble dates by the Bill
Mays trio, Dino Saluzzi, Jessica Williams, vocalist Rene Marie, and
others.
The festival features "world" concerts by Brazilian vocalist Virginia
Rodrigues, Nubian Oud master Hamza El Din, the Indian/Persian ensemble
Ghazal, and Cuban pianist Omar Sosa. Also scheduled are the notable
Cuban-influenced Marc Ribot Y Los Cubanos Prositos and tenor sax titan
David Murray with his Latin Big Band.
Celebrating the jazz tradition of expansion and progression are
drummer Susie Ibarra's Trio, piano sensation Hiromi, guitarist Fred
Frith, and the phenomenal German clarinetist Gebhard Ullman with his
quartet, Conference Call. There will also be a night of improvised
large-ensemble work by the Monktail Creative Concern in honor of their
special guest, Seattle saxophonist Wally Shoup. -- OVER --
Earshot Jazz Festival, 2001, continued -
Other Northwest artists scheduled to appear include pianists Marc
Seales and Dawn Clement, and trombone legend Julian Priester and his
award-winning quartet. There will also be a special concert with the
Garfield High School big band, winner of this year's Essentially
Ellington competition at Lincoln Center in New York. More artists and
concerts are being added. A complete line-up will be announced in late
August.
In addition to the festival's traditional "Main Stage" venue, On The
Boards in lower Queen Anne, concerts also take place at Benaroya Hall,
Town Hall Seattle, the Moore Theater, and the spectacular new downtown
music club, The Third Door. As always, visiting artists will conduct
workshops and master classes in area education centers.
Earshot Jazz, Seattle's non-profit jazz-support organization was
formed in 1984 in celebration of Seattle's uniquely thriving creative
jazz scene. Earshot publishes a monthly newsmagazine, presents
concerts and special events throughout the year, and provides
educational programs in jazz. The Earshot Jazz Festival, Seattle's
longest-running major jazz event, is internationally respected for its
programs.
Earshot Jazz is one of 14 organizations in America to participate in
the JazzNet initiative of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the
National Endowment for the Arts. The Earshot Jazz Festival is also
supported the Washington State, King County and Seattle Arts
Commissions. Community partners for the Earshot Jazz festival include
the Allen Foundation for Music, Corporate Council for the Arts,
PONCHO, and many businesses and individual supporters. Media support
is gratefully acknowledged from the Seattle Weekly and KPLU, KEXP, and
KBCS Radio. This year the festival welcomes HEAR Music as a
promotional sponsor.
Tickets for the Earshot Jazz festival will be on sale in mid August
through Earshot Jazz, all TicketMaster locations, and various Seattle
jazz spots. Complete concert information is available at
www.earshot.org or at the Jazz Festival Hotline at 206-547-9787. # # #