Jackson Street Jazz Walk marks 10 years of deep community ties with expanded event by Alexa Peters

In the years around World War II, Jackson Street, a main thoroughfare in Seattle’s Central District, was home to a vibrant jazz scene that launched the careers of artists like Ernestine Anderson, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, and others.

In commemoration of this cultural legacy, community organizer Knox Gardner and a collection of Seattle Neighborhood Community Councils came together in 2013 to found a live music event: the Jackson Street Jazz Walk. Ten years later, Jackson Street Jazz Walk (JSJW) is flourishing—and deepening the community’s investment in this cultural legacy and each other.

This year’s JSJW is the biggest ever with 22 jazz, blues, Latin, and soul bands across 10 community stages. The walk kicks off with a red dress gala at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute on September 8. The gala will feature the Nathan Breedlove Quartet and local jazz singer and JSJW’s Executive Producer, Eugenie Jones.