Earshot Jazz Festival 2026: three weeks of jazz

Seattle's jazz calendar just got busy. The 38th annual Earshot Jazz Festival opened today and runs through Sunday, October 25, filling nearly three weeks with more than 35 events spread across a dozen or so venues. DownBeat has called it the city's most important annual jazz event, and the scale backs that up: beyond the concerts, there are film screenings, public workshops and special projects woven in.

This year's programming leans hard into two centenaries, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. The biggest names on the bill are Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves, who play together on October 10 to celebrate Coltrane's legacy, then follow it up with a masterclass on him the next day, presented by JazzReach. Marsalis, born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, has two Grammys and 43 albums as a leader; Reeves is a veteran singer with 16 studio albums and Grammys for In the Moment – Live in Concert and Beautiful Life.

The rest of the lineup reads like a who's who of the genre. Gary Bartz brings his NTU Troop, which draws from the traditions of Davis, McCoy Tyner and Charles Mingus; guitarist Julian Lage makes a long-anticipated Seattle appearance; and vibraphonists Warren Wolf and Sasha Berliner are both in the mix. You'll also find pianist and producer Kiefer, Latin Jazz Grammy winner Zaccai Curtis, and Splash, a new trio led by Myra Melford with Ches Smith and Michael Formanek. Caroline Davis plays solo saxophone, Logan Richardson performs blues PEOPLE, and Skerik closes the festival on October 25 with a big band dedicated to the music and legacy of Charles Mingus.

There's plenty of room for newer names too. Christian Sands, DoYeon Kim, Dos Santos, Fonville X Fribush and Camila Ferrari are billed as rising stars, while Sidney Hauser serves as the festival's resident artist, appearing across three distinct events. Ahamefule Oluo returns on October 23 for an album launch with D'Vonne Lewis, Marina Christopher, Josh Rawlings, Izaak Mills, Skerik and SoulChilde, with a listening party on October 14.

If you want a home base, Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Belltown is the obvious choice. Family-owned and operating since 1979, it's a seated nightclub rather than a dance hall, with assigned fixed seats and every one of them within 50 feet of the stage. Dining is optional. The Yellowjackets are there through tomorrow, with Stefon Harris & Blackout on October 13 and 14, the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio with Karl Denson from October 15 to 18, Morgan James on October 20 and 21, and Brian Culbertson closing it out October 22 to 25. Parking is easier than usual for downtown: Amazon's Doppler Garage on 6th between Virginia and Lenora is free and needs no validation, and The Digital Realty Garage at 2010 5th Avenue is free with validation.

For something a bit different, the Within series at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art runs alongside the festival through October 25, with sets from 7 to 9 p.m. and tickets in the $13.95 to $29.84 range.

It's worth knowing where this all comes from. Earshot started in 1989 when a group of Seattle jazz advocates turned their work documenting the local scene into a live concert series; the first festival featured Don Lanphere, Roadside Attraction and the Total Experience Gospel Choir. It went fully virtual during the pandemic before bringing back live audiences and musicians. Tickets this year vary by show, from $10 to $125, so it's easy to build a schedule that fits your budget.