Community Calendar

We hope you'll join us in saluting Jim Wilke--legendary broadcaster, jazz ambassador, and archivist of live recordings of regional and national musicians for over 60 years—with an evening of lively music and tributes at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. Known as "The Voice of Seattle Jazz," listeners to KPLU/KNKX know him as the host of the nationally-syndicated show, Jazz After Hours, and Jazz Northwest which featured recordings of hundreds of local artists at jazz festivals and every jazz venue in Seattle. In addition, Jim broadcast hundreds of shows from the old Penthouse jazz club in Pioneer Square on KING-FM which resulted in album releases by Ernestine Anderson, Wes Montgomery, Johnny Griffin and Cannonball Adderley. Jim has garnered many radio and jazz awards, and he was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in 1992.

This very special celebration recognizes Jim Wilke for his lasting and meaningful contribution to the growth and health of the jazz ecosystem in our region and the country.

The Importance of Local Journalism is a thought-provoking evening featuring a panel of regional media experts discussing the vital role of local news in civic life, the challenges facing journalism today, and how communities can support a thriving, trustworthy press. Moderated by Brown Maloney (Radio Pacific) and featuring Briar Dudley (Save the Free Press initiative, Seattle Times), Lloyd Mullen (Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader), and Amy Jeffries (KNKX Public Radio).

This is a free event with general admission seating in the Donna M. Morris Theater. Please RSVP at the above link. Donations are appreciated.

Supported by KNKX. Since gaining prominence in the early 2000’s, the ukulele marvel Jake Shimabukuro has mesmerized audiences with his innovative and dynamic style, taking the instrument to dizzying new heights. Over a dozen solo albums, Shimabukuro has shown a knack for moving effortlessly between genres, sometimes in the same song. After being taught the instrument by his mother at age four, Jake became a local phenom, performing on his own and in a local group Pure Heart. Early in his solo career he became a YouTube sensation when his cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral. Since then, Jake has gone on to play the world’s most venerable venues, from The Hollywood Bowl to Lincoln Center to the Sydney Opera House and The N.O. Jazz Fests and collaborated with some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson, Bette Midler, Ziggy Marley, Sonny Landreth, Billy Strings, Lukas & Willie Nelson and Warren Haynes. Shimabukuro has also won his share of awards and, just a few years ago he was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a Member for the National Council on the Arts.

Jackson Waldhoff is a bass player from Honolulu, Hawai’i. He grew up in Kyoto, Japan; moved to Hawai’i in 2010. Waldhoff started playing guitar and bass as a way to make friends while learning English. In 2018, Waldhoff graduated from audio engineering school and worked as an audio engineer with Jake Shimabukuro on several projects, including “Trio,” “Jake & Friends”, and a track for Alan Parsons. Jackson Waldhoff and Jake Shimabukuro started touring together in 2018, and perform concerts around the world.

Perhaps one of the most exciting and anticipated projects in the world of heavy instrumental music is Parlor Greens, a fresh organ trio on Colemine Records! You could say that Parlor Greens are greater than the sum of their parts…however, the individual parts are simply stellar on their own. Tim Carman (GA-20) on drums, Jimmy James (True Loves, formerly Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio) on guitar, and Adam Scone (Scone Cash Players, The Sugarman 3) on organ.

Scone is perhaps the most tasteful living organist on planet Earth (and beyond) and to watch him play is to truly watch a master at work. He bends the organ to his will like a true mastercraftsman. He’s a veteran of the soul revival scene, having played on many Daptone recording sessions since their inception, but also has learned from some of the legends of soul jazz: Melvin Sparks and The Turbanator himself Dr. Lonnie Smith. Jimmy James needs no introduction to many as he’s been seen all over the world performing with instrumental groups The True Loves and the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. Perhaps the most dangerous right hand in all of soul music, his signature funky approach can be identified by even the most novice of music fans, a feat most musicians could only dream of. Tim Carman. The backbone. The pocket. Having cut his teeth touring the world with blues group GA-20, Carman’s expertise in the world of blues shuffles might make him an unlikely candidate to lay the foundation for the funky Parlor Greens, but this debut LP shows otherwise. Steady, heavy pockets and as funky as they come.

Parlor Greens started off as an idea before it even had a name. Carman had been chatting with Colemine label boss Terry Cole about their shared love for organ combo records of yesterday on labels like Blue Note and Prestige. Cole said he’d love to have an organ trio be the first project at the label’s new studio, Portage Lounge, located in Loveland, Ohio. So when Carman tapped James and Scone for the session, the stage was set. Carman and Cole had started work a day early to dial in the drum sound, so when the rest of this murderer’s row arrived they hit the ground running. It was instant chemistry. Within the first ten minutes of everyone plugging in, a song was written and recorded, “West Memphis”. And over the next three days, these three maestros conducted a beautiful and soulful symphony straight to tape. As natural and fun as three old friends getting together after a long absence, only this was the first time they had written and performed together. True magic.

There has been a parade every year since 1934, with the exception of the war years of 1943, 1944 and 1945, as well as 2020 during the global pandemic.

Our Pierce County Community has viewed the Daffodil Festival as a premier headline event, second only to the Washington State Fair. Every other major city in Washington State has a Festival and we in the community should be proud that the Daffodil Festival continues to be a significant event in the Pacific Northwest. Fun fact: members of the Executive Board for the Festival are called the "Daffodilians".

4 cities, 1 day – Rain or Shine!

Tacoma 10:15 | Puyallup 12:45 | Sumner 2:30 | Orting 5:00

The Everett Film Festival is a full day event offering a selection of eleven independently made films including documentaries, film shorts, and narrative features. Three local filmmakers will be speaking after their film screenings and taking questions from the audience. Free snacks are available throughout the day and the midday meal break will be catered by a popular Everett eatery, J&L BBQ. Full day ticket purchasers will receive a complimentary meal. Beverages and festival cups will be available for purchase.

A discount price is available for seniors/students/military. Tickets can be purchased online now. Tickets will be sold through the box office just prior to the event date.

Supported by KNKX. Duende Libre is an award-winning jazz trio whose original music celebrates the connections between global rhythms from Cuba, Brazil, and the Mediterranean with the American jazz tradition. Each having apprenticed with direct descendants and master musicians of these traditions, they consider themselves disciples of their teachers. The result: A euphoric new jazz that honors its historical roots, pushing open the boundaries of genre to invoke a powerful sonic freedom.

Comprising core members Alex Chadsey (bandleader and keys), Jeff Busch (percussion), and Farko Dosumov (bass), Duende Libre is collectively influenced by the trio’s direct connections with master musicians including Marc Seales, Clinton Fearon, Dudley Nesbitt, Dave Hassel, Jesse Bannister, Chucho Valdés, Carlos Santana, Martha Gonzalez, Quetzal Flores, Joe Santiago.

The band effectively—and uniquely—calls attention to the space between contemporary jazz traditions and broader musical influences from around the globe. Informed by a cumulative century of devoted study, they answer to this with emphatic (and euphoric) sonic interpretations that effectively enrich the collective language of jazz itself.

Supported by KNKX. Listening to the abundant sounds of the Seattle-based funk & soul group, True Loves, is like walking down a favorite neighborhood street, slapping five with friends, checking up with clerks in their stores, admiring your dark sun-glassed face in their windows, ducking under flowerpots and smelling the familiar smells of your most cherished locale. The band is its own block party.

What began in 2014 as a jam session between three of the city’s best - pocket-perfect drummer David McGraw, intoxicating bassist Bryant Moore, and otherworldly guitarist Jimmy James - has since blossomed into a global force that features percussionist Iván Galvez, trombonist Greg Kramer, and saxophonists Gordon Brown and Skerik. Together, the group’s live performances have garnered them much acclaim and millions of streams on YouTube.

In 2017, True Loves recorded their debut instrumental LP, Famous Last Words which received worldwide adoration and earned them spots at coveted festivals. In 2021, the group released their sophomore album, to high praise, Sunday Afternoon.

GRAMMY-winning Soul provider Nigel Hall is an artist who needs no introduction. Throughout his career, he’s built a mighty foundation of funk, onstage and in the studio, proving himself to be a true student of the music. His unique sound, built upon pages torn out of the golden-ages of R&B, funk and soul, have made him the musician he is today; an accomplished vocalist, keyboardist, studio musician, and member of the GRAMMY-nominated funk-jazz-soul-hip-hop-psychedelic-jam-experimental titans Lettuce. Legions of fans are already well in the know about Hall’s copious keyboard chops and powerful vocal style.

2026 marks the centennial of iconic saxophonist John Coltrane’s birth. Coltrane 100: Both Directions at Once offers audiences a rare chance to join this historic moment. An all-star lineup, each from different backgrounds — saxophonists Joe Lovano and Melissa Aldana; pianist Ndudzo Makhathini, bassist Matthew Garrison, and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts — join together to pay tribute to one of the most inspirational artists, whose creativity and spirituality has influenced generations of musicians. Each member of this group stands on the threshold of the future, fulfilling their musical vision looking forward.

Coltrane once explained his musical aspirations to fellow saxophonist Wayne Shorter as, “starting a sentence in the middle, and then going to the beginning and the end of it at the same time… both directions at once.” The Coltrane 100 band looks Both Directions at Once with modern interpretations of classic Coltrane repertoire from throughout his career, plus originals inspired by his legacy.

Sponsored by KNKX. Kokoroko first formed in 2014 when Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet/flugelhorn/vocals) and Onome Edgeworth (percussion) met on an arts trip in Kenya, bonding over their shared tastes in music. A desire to connect young people in the African diaspora with genres like Afrobeat and Highlife would also fuel the band’s genesis. Before long they were playing gigs, riding a wave of the then nascent “London jazz scene”. In 2018, their breakthrough was secured when the sparse ‘Abusey Junction’ was included on Gilles Peterson’s ‘We Out Here’ compilation. An understated 7 minute ballad recorded in an afternoon, it quickly became a viral hit racking up 75 million streams.

The next few years were spent touring extensively, work-shopping their music and perfecting their sound. In 2019 they self-released their debut EP in 2019, selling over 20,000 copies on vinyl, before having its momentum halted by the pandemic. In 2022, after much heightened anticipation, and with the help of producer Miles James (Little Simz, Yussef Dayes, Tom Misch), they released their debut album ‘Could We Be More’.

Read more here.