Happy Valentine’s Day! Our hearts are certainly full today, with the news that Roosevelt Jazz Band I has been selected as a finalist for the 2019 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival. They’ll be in some mighty fine company in NYC come May, including neighbors Garfield and Mount Si. Congratulations to Director Scott Brown and all the students!
For more information and a list of all the finalists, hop over to the Essentially Ellington website.
Today’s snow day allowed us some time to reflect. We’ve been busy; it’s nice to have a chance, however brief, to slow down and give thanks for what has happened so far this year. Our students have been putting in the hours at festivals, clubs, jam sessions, clinics, rehearsals, and the woodshed; they’ve been performing, listening, and learning. Most recently, Jazz Bands I and II represented Roosevelt Jazz at the 57th annual Clark College Jazz Festival and the 23rd Annual Bellevue College Jazz Festival. And back at home, a vocal jazz combo welcomed prospective RoughRiders to Roosevelt’s recent open house. In the words of John Lewis, the reward for playing jazz is playing jazz, and our students and directors are grateful to have been rewarded with these opportunities to share music with their peers and with incredible artists like trumpeter Ashlin Parker. (Coming home with some hardware is nice, too.)
Alright, look lively, reflection time is over! Next up, on February 6th at 7:30pm, Jazz Bands III and IV will represent Roosevelt Jazz at the Royal Room. A JB2 combo or two, and our directors Michael Van Bebber and Mark Taylor, will round out what looks to be a great night of jazz. Make your reservations for a table now if you haven’t already done so.
Also on the horizon is our annual program retreat at Seabeck. If you’re buying what John Lewis is selling, you will be amply rewarded at Seabeck. There will be no shortage of opportunities for playing jazz there.
We hope you can join the Roosevelt Jazz Band on March 15th at 7pm at the Paramount Theatre at Starbucks 24th Annual Hot Java Cool Jazz concert. The best way to buy tickets (no surcharge!) is directly from our local Starbucks store at Roosevelt Square (6417 Roosevelt Way NE). 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales at the Roosevelt Square Starbucks will directly benefit our school’s music program. Enjoy a flat white or americano while you’re there! If you can’t make it in to the Roosevelt Square Starbucks, you can also get tickets online at STG Presents. (A portion of the proceeds from STG online tickets sales will go to Roosevelt, too.) With Roosevelt, Garfield, Mountlake Terrace, Mount Si, and Edmonds-Woodway High Schools sharing the stage, you know it’s going to be a great evening of jazz!
2018 was quite a year for Roosevelt Jazz. Our calendar has been full, with clinicians, jam sessions, concerts, club performances, and trips far and near. We have working instruments, including a piano that stays in tune for more than a rehearsal; new microphones for recordings and concerts; and new music to perform for you. We can do all of this because of the support we receive from our families, our friends and neighbors, and the Roosevelt High School community, including our tireless directors Scott Brown, Jean-Marie Kent, Michael Van Bebber, and Mark Taylor. Thank you all for giving your time, your money, and your love to this program and to these students. We look forward to sharing more music with you in 2019.
Congratulations to Director Scott Brown and the students of Jazz Band I! They will have the honor of playing in the Starbucks Hot Java Cool Jazz concert at the Paramount Theater on Friday, March 15th, along with Mountlake Terrace, Garfield, Mount Si, and Edmonds Woodway. Tickets are not yet on sale; details on how to purchase tickets will be posted in January. For now, save the date! We hope to see you there for this swinging evening of jazz. A huge thank you to Starbucks for their sponsorship of this event, which raises tens of thousands of dollars for jazz education in Seattle, year after year. Time for a Peppermint Mocha…