Reminder: Get ready for sensational sounds as Jazz Connection comes to town May 20

Meadowdale High School’s Ben Jackson performs during the 2016 Jazz Connection. (File photo by Larry Vogel)

Enjoy a day of outstanding jazz this Saturday, May 20, when the 17th Annual Edmonds Jazz Connection comes to downtown Edmonds. The day-long event sponsored by the Edmonds Daybreakers Rotary Club features an outstanding lineup of award-winning Pacific Northwest jazz programs, including the two Edmonds School District high school bands that just performed last weekend at the prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival in New York City.

Saturday’s event continues the partnership between the Rotary Club of Edmonds Daybreakers and the Foundation for Edmonds School District, which last fall awarded an $18,000 school-wide grant to support music programs in the Edmonds School District.

The foundation grant supports a music lab project, with the goal of both enriching students’ music experience and to reach students who are underrepresented in the district’s music program. That program was highlighted during the Foundation’s annual fundraising breakfast last week.

The Edmonds Daybreakers Rotary founded the Edmonds Jazz Connection with the goal of making a connection between the schools, the community and the professional jazz world.

A highlight of this Saturday’s performances will be final appearances by the Edmonds-Woodway and Mountlake Terrace High School jazz programs, which were among 15 schools selected to perform at Essentially Ellington May 13-15 in New York City.

You can see the complete schedule here, but the overview is as follows:

– Big bands will start performing at 9 a.m. at Edmonds Center for the Arts (410 4th Ave. N.)

– Choral groups begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Holy Rosary Parish (7th Ave. N. at Aloha St.)

– Combos will be at the Edmonds Theater (415 Main St.) starting at 9:30 a.m.

Scholarships will be awarded by the Daybreakers to select graduating high school seniors, and grants will be announced benefiting participating schools.

Although admission is free, donations are encouraged to support the Daybreakers’ scholarship and grant fund. You can donate at the event or now via this Jazz Connection link. 

 

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