Community Calendar

KNKX, Block 41, and Lee Oskar Harmonicas are thrilled to present an evening of live music by Lee Oskar & Friends and Duende Libre with special guests Chava Mirel and Frank Anderson. All ticket proceeds go directly to KNKX.

Enjoy a complete package with entertainment throughout the night and into the New Year, fantastic food (heavy appetizers, small plates, and dessert), plus two drinks and a champagne toast.

Block 41 is an exciting event venue in Belltown, impeccably crafted from a 1927 former ice warehouse. It is a contemporary space where you’ll be able to mingle, dance, sip drinks, raise a glass of champagne, and welcome in the New Year surrounded by friends, old and new. And you get to support the jazz, blues and news at KNKX at the same time!

Join us! We can’t wait to ring in 2024 with you!

Presented by KNKX. The Blind Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as living legends of gospel music. Celebrated by The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The Recording Academy/GRAMMYs with Lifetime Achievement Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and winners of five GRAMMY Awards, they have attained the highest levels of achievement in a career that spans over 70 years. In addition, they were just nominated for three Grammy’s: Best American Roots Performance, Best Americana Performance and Best Roots Gospel Album – all for their new album Echos of the South.

The Blind Boys are known for crossing multiple musical boundaries with their remarkable interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material by songwriters such as Eric Clapton, Prince and Tom Waits. They have appeared on recordings with many artists, including Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, Susan Tedeschi, Ben Harper, Patty Griffin and Taj Mahal. The Blind Boys of Alabama have also appeared on The Tonight Show, Late Night, The Grammy Award, 60 Minutes, The Colbert Report and more.

The Blind Boys Christmas Show mixes holiday standards with the selections from their Grammy-winning holiday classic album, Go Tell It On The Mountain and the spirited Talkin’ Christmas album. Blind Boys will have everyone in the audience singing and clapping along to spread the joy of the season!

It’s without a doubt that the Blind Boys of Alabama are a pillar of American music and icons of Gospel. The New York Times said they “came to epitomize what is known as jubilee singing, a livelier breed of gospel music,” adding that “they made it zestier still by adding jazz and blues idioms and turning up the volume, creating a sound… like the rock ‘n’ roll that grew out it. The New Yorker simply called them “legendary.”

Celebrate the season with a sassy holiday concert that blends blues, swing, and New Orleans Jazz. With a new spin on an old sound, Davina and The Vagabonds have created quite a stir on the international music scene with their high-energy live shows. Davina Sowers has been compared to Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, and even Betty Boop. This rollicking quintet melds Sowers’ keyboard playing, with acoustic bass, drums, and a spicy trumpet and trombone horn section. The group’s focused, clean sound and emphasis on acoustic instruments are novel to both blues and jazz worlds and are sure to leave you feeling merry and bright!

Sponsored by KNKX. Josephine Howell was born in Chicago, IL. She has always been fascinated with music and the arts, captivating family and friends at an early age with her amazing gifts. She first explored her interest and abilities for singing in the children’s choir at her childhood church, The True Right M. B. Church.

Josephine is always exploring new avenues of expression. Her range of talent extends from singing, dancing, and acting to production and direction of the arts. Her performances reflect the spirituality, love, struggles, and victories of one who tells a story of triumph where there was no hope.

Because Josephine recognizes the importance of each hand helping another, she participates often in community events, performing, entertaining, but also sometimes speaking very candidly to those who need to hear from someone who's walked in their shoes. She is active in local affairs and has committed her time and talent to speaking to our government about the plight of the homeless, an experience she once knew firsthand. She believes it is important not just to entertain, but to use her gifts, her singing, her speaking, her acting, her directing to better the community, city, and country in which she lives.

Supported by KNKX. The Heavy Hitters is a sextet co-led by pianist Mike LeDonne and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. The band is rounded out by some of the premiere purveyors of straight-ahead swinging jazz: Vincent Herring on alto saxophone, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Peter Washington on upright bass and Kenny Washington on drums.

The music is built to tickle your mind, hit you in the heart and get your head swaying back and forth. The Heavy Hitters make soulful kickass swinging music that you might have heard on a Blue Note record back in the day. Not to look back... this is a band that is all about the NOW because it’s happening right now!

The Heavy Hitters have been swinging hard their whole lives! Their debut record was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio, a place we are so lucky to still have up and running and that is putting out the same great sound we have all loved for all these years. It’s a true “Jazz” sound, recorded by some of the greatest jazz musicians of their generation.

A celebration of the winter solstice, this year featuring the song, dance, and story of Medieval England! The theme is Silk Road Merchants Meet Medieval England.

Nightly lights will twinkle, sparkle and delight Thanksgiving to New Years!

Snoqualmie is a vibrant city with small town charm, and holiday movie vibes. The light displays are magical and festive - the quaintest lights on the Eastside. Make it one of your holiday season day trip destinations.

Pose for family photos or selfies, shop, sip, snack, and stroll. The light display route starts at the Salish Lodge and Spa and meanders down a pedestrian and stroller friendly walk along the Centennial Trail of holiday trains into historic Downtown.

Stop at the Railroad Park Gazebo for holiday tree photos and kids can drop off their wish lists in the Santa Letter Box. Visit the Snoqualmie Train Depot, walk along the boardwalk, and catch a glimpse of snowcapped Mount Si.

Parking is free and ample. Continue the light display tour and drive up Snoqualmie Parkway to the Brilliant Blvd of lit trees in the Snoqualmie Ridge neighborhood.

Bundle up in your favorite sweater, put on a cozy hat, tie on your skates, and celebrate the season at the annual Oly on Ice, a pop-up ice skating rink in Olympia. As the days grow colder and holiday season begins residents and visitors of Olympia will see a large white tent pop up in Isthmus Park. Enter the tent and prepare to have a blast as you join the group of ice skaters making their way around the rink. The annual Oly on Ice event brings together people of all ages and skill levels for a memorable winter experience.

Presented by KNKX. Winner of the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute International competition and awarded the 2023 Luminarts Fellowship, Jahari Stampley is emerging as a modern innovator in the jazz piano world. Having played many of the world’s most prestigious venues before the age of 22, in a few short years, Jahari is recognized as a prolific pianist, composer, producer, and educator.

He began playing piano at the age of 14 and quickly swept through the music world with his unique ability to create fresh tapestries of sound, winning many competitions, performing solo concerts internationally, and touring with renowned artists such as Stanley Clarke, Derrick Hodge, and Keyon Harrold, among many others.

“Chicago-based pianist Jahari Stampley is a definite prodigy.… Stampley's simultaneously effervescent and melancholic chords hint at times at folk and at other country influences while remaining steeped in the blues. His layered pianism captivates and mesmerizes with its subtlety. There are no unnecessary pyrotechnics here, just quiet introspection." - Hrayr Attarian (2023), All About Jazz

Critic Giovanni Russonello wrote "…with his tall, wiry frame hunched over the piano, [Stampley's] style arrived like a lightning bolt...His playing felt unforced, as if powered from an internal engine. This was an artist you wanted to hear again, and to know more about."

Jahari will be joined by D-Erania Stampley (saxophone, bass and synthesizer), the mother of the talented pianist, Jahari Stampley, a Grammy-nominated musician from Chicago who also runs a music school. The 59th Grammy Awards Committee recognized D-Erania's Language of the Heart CD for seven ballot categories. Langage of the Heart successfully balances accessibility and imagination. D-Erania has created a work that has wide appeal without sacrificing originality, one with plenty of inspired artistry that is solidly mainstream. This record is a portent of a brilliant career for this promising and talented musician." - Chicago Jazz Magazine

On drums, 21-year old Miguel Russell, from South Florida originally born in the Bronx NYC, started playing drums when he was 2 years old, when his father taught him how to play. At age 4 he was enrolled in the Harlem School of the Arts, studying under mentor and master drummer, Baba Donald Eaton. He would go on to play with legends such as Wynton Marsalis, Nestor Torres, Paquito D' Rivera, Pedro Martinez, Candido Camero, Stefon Harris, Stacey Dillard, Dayna Stephens, and more.

Blue Note Records marks its 85th Anniversary with a US Tour starring “The Blue Note Quintet” – emerging stars united to honor the label’s legacy and support today’s diverse artists. Gerald Clayton, 6-time Grammy nominee, leads as Musical Director and Pianist, praised by President Don Was for his innovation. The ensemble includes vibraphonist Joel Ross, Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, Drummer Kendrick Scott, and Bassist Matt Brewer.

Gerald Clayton, a Grammy-nominated pianist and composer, released Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard on Blue Note Records. Collaborating with icons like Diana Krall, Terence Blanchard, and Charles Lloyd, Clayton is Director of Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Joel Ross, vibraphonist-composer, debuted with the Edison Award-winning record KingMaker to critical acclaim. His third release, The Parable of the Poet, delves into self-awareness. Ross spotlights fellow artists Immanuel Wilkins and more, embracing collective improvisation.

Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins’ empathetic sound resonates in Omega, named 2020’s top Jazz Album by The New York Times. The quartet returns in his sophomore album, The 7th Hand, exploring presence and nothingness.

Kendrick Scott, Houston-born drummer, toured with Herbie Hancock and Charles Lloyd. With albums like We Are The Drum and A Wall Becomes A Bridge, Scott thrives as a leader and collaborator.

Matt Brewer, bassist, known for worldwide collaborations, studied at Juilliard School and worked with esteemed musicians. His journey from Interlochen Arts Academy to international stages, showcases his mastery.

Blue Note Records’ 85th Anniversary Tour resonates with diverse talents, uniting past and present. As these musicians honor tradition and innovate, they affirm the label’s enduring influence on the world of jazz.