It’s not unusual for our local paper to highlight our exceptional high school jazz programs here in Seattle and the greater Puget Sound area. What is unusual and refreshing is The Seattle Times’ story of an outstanding group of jazz educators with connections to a genealogy of excellence and long term commitment.
It begins with the story of two brothers and their music education journey from high school into college. Both are now established band directors in the area and for the first time they will be competing against each other at Essentially Ellington with their respective bands, along with an unprecedented five bands from the Seattle region.
Along with three others from the Puget Sound area, their bands are among 15 in the U.S. and Canada to make the Essentially Ellington finals. No region has ever sent five bands to Ellington before.
You can hear some sample mp3’s of each of the five bands from our region below:
Garfield High School (Seattle):
Director — Clarence Acox, nine Essentially Ellington finals; first place in 2003, 2004.
Garfield High School plays “Daydream”
Mountlake Terrace:
Director — Darin Faul, four-time finalist.
Mountlake Terrace High plays “Hoping for the Day”
Roosevelt (Seattle):
Director — Scott Brown, nine-time finalist; first place in 2002, 2007.
Roosevelt High School plays “War”
Shorewood (Shoreline):
Director — Paul Harshman, five-time finalist (one trip was with Kentridge).
Shorewood High School plays “Lickety Split”
South Whidbey (Langley, Whidbey Island):
Director — Chris Harshman, first trip to Ellington.
South Whidbey High School plays “Art of Darkness”
Entertainment | Region’s jazz legacy in spotlight again at Essentially Ellington | Seattle Times Newspaper
Genealogy of Jazz Education in Seattle.pdf
