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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor Nickels Commemorates the Roots of Seattle Jazz with the Dedication of the 12th & Jackson Street Jazz Sign
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
10/22/2005 9:00:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
James Keblas, Mayor’s Office of Film & Music, 206-684-5030
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
Karin Zaugg Black (206) 733-9810
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Mayor Nickels Commemorates the Roots of Seattle Jazz with the Dedication of the 12th & Jackson Street Jazz Sign
SEATTLE - Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and community leaders celebrated the Roots of Jazz in Seattle today with the unveiling of a permanent plaque at the northwest corner of 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street, a hub of Seattle’s after-hours jazz scene from the 1920s-1960s.
"I’m proud to celebrate and recognize this musical crossroads where Seattle's legendary jazz musicians and young rising stars honed their craft," said Nickels. "Seattle’s music industry enhances our quality of life and contributes over $650 million to our local economy - we must acknowledge the roots of our current thriving music scene."
The action on Jackson lasted several decades, and peaked throughout the 1940s and 1950s when hot jazz filled the clubs and spilled into the streets. Jazz greats such as Quincy Jones, Ray Charles and Ernestine Anderson, among others, launched their careers in this lively after-hours and all-hours jazz hub.
"Seattle was a music mecca at that time," wrote Quincy Jones in "The Autobiography of Quincy Jones". "...(U)p and down Jackson Street…you could find almost any style of music you wanted: bebop, blues, R&B, even Dixieland. Musicians came from everywhere to hang."
Mayor Nickels also marked this occasion by proclaiming October 22nd - 29th as "Jazz Week", celebrating Earshot Jazz Festival and Seattle’s "Jazz in the City" concert at Benaroya Hall October 29th.
"This event begins a campaign to embrace and honor Seattle’s musical heritage and it's exciting to launch the effort at this important jazz crossroads in the International District," said James Keblas, Director of the Mayor Office of Film & Music. "It has been a great collaboration between many different communities that has made the celebration of Seattle’s jazz roots possible."
Paul de Barros, author of "Jackson Street After Hours" agreed, saying that "the recognition the City of Seattle is giving to its rich and expressive jazz history is a tribute to the many musicians past and present who have kept - and are keeping - the jazz fire alive."
The Mayor's Office of Film and Music gratefully acknowledges the community partners who made this possible: the Chinatown/International District’s community associations, Earshot Jazz, Experience Music Project, and the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Recording Academy®.
Following the ceremony, a reception was held at the Tamarind Tree restaurant, 1036 S. Jackson Street, featuring a live performance by Seattle jazz greats Floyd Standifer, Clarence Acox, Phil Sparks and Larry Fuller.
At 7:30 pm on October 22nd, an Earshot Jazz Festival concert featuring the "Legends of Seattle Jazz" will take place at the Triple Door, with more Seattle greats, including Buddy Catlett and Overton Berry.
For more information on the Mayor’s Office of Film & Music, please visit www.seattle.gov/music.
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Mayor's Office of Film and Music
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