by Jenn Ngeth
Ernestine Anderson. Ray Charles. Quincy Jones. These are some of the legendary names of jazz that have hailed from Seattle’s Central District to the global audience. Honoring the CD’s rich history of jazz infused with a strong focus on community outreach, the Jackson Street Jazz Walk (JSJW), a Music For A Cause event, will continue to entertain, educate, and give back to underserved communities. The 10th Annual Jackson Street Jazz Walk will take place in Seattle’s Central District, with one event in Queen Anne, on Sept. 8–10.
The Jazz Walk will have an immense lineup of 22 different musical artists — almost doubling the amount of performers compared to previous years! The performances will take place across eight venues along Jackson Street at the Cheeky Cafe, Shewa-Ber Bar & Restaurant, Wonder Coffee & Sports Bar, Pratt Fine Arts Plaza, Jackson Apartments, the Central Area Senior Center’s Green Dolphin Street Lounge, and the Jackson Street Pizza Lounge. Local artists include the legendary Nathan Breedlove, Jovino Santos Neto, and Washington Blues Society’s “Best of the Blues” award-winner Rafael Tranquilino (just to name a few). Many well-known Seattle musical artists have performed in previous Jackson Street Jazz Walks — this year features a collective of incredible talent from over the past decade.
Eugenie Jones, the executive director of the Jackson Street Jazz Walk, said this year’s curation came about by having artists apply using an online process. Jones says, “It goes beyond who I know, to me being introduced to people in the community by them participating in this application process.” Through this method, she was able to discover new jazz musicians and continue the legacy of diversity and inclusivity into this year’s lineup. “I’m pulling together all these different bands and you look at the array of faces,” she says. “They’re all ages, young and old. They’re all demographics of people, and ethnicities and colors”.
The celebration kicks off on Sept. 8 when Music For A Cause will be hosting a Red Dress Jazz Gala at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center from 6 to 9 p.m. At the gala, guests can enjoy an evening of musical performances by Nathan Breedlove Quartet and singer/songwriter and legacy activist Eugenie Jones, along with a “History Worth Preserving” presentation by Stephanie Johnson-Toliver, president of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State.
On Sept. 9, in partnership with Pratt Fine Arts Center, Pratt will be hosting an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. The evening will be filled with art activities for all ages, live music featuring two stages and four bands, local food trucks, and art vendors.
On Sept. 10, Seattle Sings! will take place at Queen Anne’s Fountainhead Gallery with performances by the Shawn Schlogel Trio and an ensemble of Seattle vocalists including Ben Black, Kim Maguire, Joan Penney, and more.
With the intertwining of music, arts, and community outreach, the event not only helps honor the jazz legends that sprouted from the Central District but also gives back to the community by donating the funds to local organizations and facilities. This year, the JSJW donations will be benefiting the Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center — the last operating Black Panther-founded health care clinic in the U.S.
“There was a time when African Americans, People of Color, there was a red line in this city, that we weren’t allowed to go past that red line. We weren’t offered performances in those clubs. And we were secluded. And as a result of that, the only place that we could perform diversity and inclusivity being the nature of the atmosphere was in the Central District,” Jones said. “And now it’s still here in the Central District. We’re still doing that.”
So this weekend, immerse yourself in this ever-expanding music genre while remembering its roots: a community that flourished during a time of ignorance and racism, and refused to allow it to stifle their need to create a center stage for inclusivity, diversity, and music.
Jenn Ngeth is a Khmer American woman from Seattle, Washington, who grew up in South Park. She received her A.A.S. in visual communications from Highline College and is a published poet and multidisciplinary artist.
📸 Featured Image: A group photo of some of this year’s bands participating in the Jackson Street Jazz Walk, taken at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. (Photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn, courtesy of JSJW)
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