The Jazz Journalists Association, an international membership organization for journalists covering jazz, announced its list of 2023 JJA Jazz Heroes on Thursday.
Nominated by members in their communities, the 36 honorees include activists, educators, preservationists and others supporting jazz in a myriad of ways.
Seattle's Jazz Hero this year is Eugenie Jones, singer-songwriter and founder of Music for a Cause. The nonprofit celebrates African American jazz and supports other community organizations.
As part of her work, Jones organizes the annual Jackson Street Jazz Walk and has held tribute concerts for jazz and blues singer Ernestine Anderson. Jones is also a recording artist and released her third album in 2022.
Former Seattle resident Naomi Moon Siegel, a trombonist and founder of Lakebottom Sound, is also a 2023 Jazz Hero. She is now based in Missoula, Montana.
Previous Seattle Jazz Heroes include:
- Jazz Alley proprietor John Dimitriou (2021)
- Trumpeter Jay Thomas (2020)
- Origin Records' Matt Jorgensen and John Bishop (2019)
- Earshot Jazz Managing Director Karen Caropepe (2018)
- The Royal Room's Wayne Horvitz (2017)
- Seattle JazzED Founder Laurie de Koch (2016)
See the full list of 2023 Jazz Heroes at news.jazzjournalists.org.
