KNKX's 10th Anniversary event celebration culminates on Saturday, Dec. 12 when we present a lively evening of words and music in the Great Hall at Town Hall Seattle.
We'll kick things off with our special guest, award-winning journalist and a host of NPR All Things Considered, Ailsa Chang in conversation with KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick. You'll hear about Ailsa's trajectory from litigator at a San Francisco law firm, to an internship in her 30's at member station KQED, to her full-fledged journalism career. Ailsa will also peel back the curtain on a day in the life of All Things Considered, including how the show's live and quick-turnaround interviews are structured, and more.
Next, our good friend, Northwest music luminary, jazz trumpeter, composer, and producer Thomas Marriott will bring his Special Quintet to the stage, featuring pianist and new Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director, Orrin Evans. The group also includes bassist Trevor Ford, tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and drummer George Fludas. Thomas is a force for jazz on the West Coast with 15 albums that have reached number one on the jazz radio airplay charts. He's won multiple awards, including being named a "Jazz Hero" by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2024, and one of Seattle's "Most Influential People" by Seattle Magazine in 2026.
SAVE THE DATE: Tickets go on sale to the public October 5, including the opportunity to attend a pre-event reception/meet and greet in the Forum at Town Hall with Ailsa Chang, Thomas Marriott, and Orrin Evans.
About Ailsa Chang
Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist and a host of NPR's newsmagazine All Things Considered, as well as NPR's daily news podcast Consider This. Ailsa landed in public radio after leaving a career in law. In 2006, she stepped away as a litigator at a law firm in San Francisco, and soon found herself sitting inside a cubicle — an intern in her 30s, at Member station KQED. That's when she realized what beautiful preparation a legal career was for a career in journalism. Prior to coming to NPR, Chang was an investigative reporter at NPR Member station WNYC in New York City, focusing on criminal justice and legal affairs. She was a Kroc Fellow at NPR from 2008-2009. Before becoming a host of All Things Considered, Ailsa was a congressional correspondent with NPR’s Washington Desk and former Planet Money host and correspondent.
Ailsa has earned a string of national awards for her work. In 2012, she was honored with the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton for her investigation into the New York City Police Department's "stop-and-frisk" policy and allegations of unlawful marijuana arrests by officers. The series also earned honors from Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists. Ailsa is also the recipient of the Daniel Schorr Journalism Award and two awards from the Asian American Journalists Association.
Ailsa has a B.A. from Stanford University and a law degree from Stanford Law School. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Oxford University, where she received a master’s degree in media law. She also has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
About Thomas Marriott
Trumpeter, composer, and producer Thomas Marriott is a force for jazz on the west coast. He’s paid dues beside jazz elders such as Maynard Ferguson, Roy McCurdy, Julian Priester, Ernie Watts, Roger Humphries, Mike Clark and Stix Hooper, and has been called on by contemporary standard-bearers like Joe Locke, Orrin Evans, Steve Wilson, and Charlie Hunter. A chameleon of musical styles, Marriott’s horn has been in-demand with bands like the Grammy-Award winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Captain Black Big Band, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstafunk, hip-hop pioneer Deltron 3030 , and vocalists Kurt Elling, Ernestine Anderson, Michael Feinstein and Rosemary Clooney.
His own albums, 15 in all, have reached number one on the jazz radio airplay charts, earned 4 1/2 stars in Downbeat, and have been featured on NPR. Thomas Marriott has been featured in the New York Times, has won 9 Golden Ear Awards, the Carmine Caruso Trumpet Competition, is the youngest inductee into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame, spent more than 20 seasons as a soloist with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra and is founder of Seattle Jazz Fellowship, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting jazz music and jazz culture in Seattle. In 2024 he was named a “Jazz Hero” by the Jazz Journalists Association. In 2026, he was named one of Seattle’s “Most Influential People” by Seattle Magazine.
About Kirsten Kendrick
Kirsten has been hosting Morning Edition on KNKX/KPLU since 2006. Kirsten fell in love with radio in college and has worked in news radio for more than 30 years. She is also a morning person and loves that she is a companion to listeners as they start their day. In addition to hosting Morning Edition, Kirsten hosts the sports interview series "Going Deep," talking with folks tied to sports in our region about what drives them — as professionals and people.
