Washington-rooted vocal quartet säje earned their second career win for best arrangement, instruments and vocals, with their single “Alma,” featuring Regina Carter. Absent fourth member Amanda Taylor, the “fractured ensemble” of Tacoma’s Johnaye Kendrick, Erin Bentlage and Roosevelt Jazz alum Sara Gazarek accepted the award for the second straight year. Congratulations Sara!
Congratulations to Jazz Band 1 and Director Hannah Mowry for being a finalist to the 30th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival in New York City!
Essentially Ellington is considered by many to be the Super Bowl for high-school jazz bands.
The music is challenging.
The competition fierce.
“The stylistic richness of Ellington’s music presents a great challenge to educators and performers alike,” according to the festival website. “Clark Terry, who left Count Basie’s band to join Duke Ellington, said, ‘Count Basie was college, but Duke Ellington was graduate school.’ … In Ellington’s music there are many more exceptions to the rules. This calls for greater knowledge of the language of jazz.”
Our program is one of four in the greater Seattle area to qualify, and we’re honored to represent Washington alongside Garfield, Bothell, and Mountlake Terrace high schools.
In recognition of its 30th anniversary, Essentially Ellington has:
doubled the number of finalist bands to 30 and included three international bands;
expanded the festival to five days—May 7-11—and will offer even more programs for band directors and students;
moved the final concert on May 11 to the historic Metropolitan Opera House, located at Lincoln Center in New York, NY.
Roosevelt Jazz has attended 24 times since the competition expanded to include schools in all U.S. states and Canada, according to Wikipedia. Several high-school bands from the Seattle area have participated over the decades, including repeat finalists: Garfield, Shorewood, Mount Si, Edmonds-Woodway, Mountlake Terrace, Newport, Bothell, and Ballard high schools.
What a terrific night! Between 50 and 60 Roosevelt Jazz alumni, current students, family members and friends gathered at the Sheridan Market on Sunday, December 22 for a festive and swingin’ Roosevelt HS Jazz Reunion! Almost twenty alumni (representing six decades) and many current jazz students joined former long-time director Scott Brown (’84-’22) and jam session leader Alex Dugdale (‘08) to play and enjoy great music.
Many thanks to all who attended! And special thanks to Scott Brown, Alex Dugdale, and Kevin Seeley (’88) for helping to organize and spread the word. And thanks to the Sheridan Market for hosting. Let’s do it again!
Roosevelt Jazz Alumni-please check out and follow the Roosevelt High School Jazz Alumni Page:
We’re proud to announce that Jazz Band 1 has been chosen to perform at the Starbucks 28th annual Hot Java Cool Jazz concert March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. The concert supports local area high-school music programs. Roosevelt will be joined by Garfield, Mountlake Terrance, Mount Si, and Bothell high schools, with ticket sales going directly back to the high schools that perform in the show. Tickets will go on sale in late January 2025, and all Roosevelt Jazz student musicians will be offered complimentary tickets, courtesy of the booster club. Selection to perform at Hot Java Cool Jazz is a prized educational opportunity for an ensemble, as well as a fundraiser that benefits a school’s entire jazz education program. Each school is tasked with promoting the concert and selling a percentage of tickets. In return, a school can earn up to $20,000. Please consider joining the Hot Java Cool Jazz promotion team. For more information, visit our volunteer hub: |
Roosevelt Jazz Band 1 opens for the phenomenal Marina Albero, an award-winning, passionate composer, pianist, and Yusa, the internationally acclaimed Cuban bassist, singer and composer at two shows on Nov. 3.
Marina Albero featuring Yusa and Roosevelt Jazz Band 1
Sunday, Nov. 3 @2:30PM and @7:30 PM
Buy tickets here.
These shows are sold-out to the general public, but we have a limited number to share with our Roosevelt Jazz families and fans! Tickets are no longer available on the general Earshot website, but can still be purchased through this link. Students $13.20; adults $38.50.
Our student musicians have been putting in the hours! In addition to attending their daily jazz class, 12th-grade trumpet player Chloe Mai (pictured here) and her bandmates have been holding morning practices and meeting frequently for sectionals in preparation for Earshot and other performance commitments. We’re so grateful for their time spent in learning their craft. This effort is one reason why Roosevelt Jazz is synonymous with excellent entertainment!
Chloe took a few minutes after a calculus test to share with us her favorite Albero song, “Coraliu,” that she’s learning for the Earshot shows. “Marina Albero’s music is so brilliant and full of passion, so it’s easy to hear the message of the song reflected in the sweet melody,” Chloe said in email. “It has depth you wouldn’t expect, and overall a very enjoyable song to play.”