Bothell High Jazz Ensemble selected for NYC festival, will perform at Hot Java Cool Jazz in Seattle

Congratulations to Bothell High School Jazz Ensemble 1, under the direction of Phil Dean, for being selected for the second consecutive year as a finalist in the Essentially Ellington Jazz Band Competition & Festival. The annual Essentially Ellington competition is one of the most innovative jazz education events in the world. Each year, high school musicians from across North America travel to New York City to spend three days immersed in workshops, jam sessions, rehearsals, and performances at the “House of Swing,” Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. This year’s event will take place May 11-13. Bothell was one of 15 ensembles selected for this prestigious honor.

Locally, the community will have a chance to hear Bothell Jazz 1 and other area bands during Hot Java Cool Jazz, a benefit concert taking place in Seattle. This annual event brings together five of the top high school jazz bands in the state for a non-competitive performance in a premier venue, Seattle’s Paramount Theatre. This year’s event takes place on Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. and will feature Bothell, Bellevue, Roosevelt, Garfield, and Mt. Si High School. Since 1995, the annual event has raised more than $1 million for local school jazz music programs. 

This year, funds raised will support Bothell’s participation in Essentially Ellington. Community members, students, and staff who would like to attend Hot Java Cool Jazz to show your support for Bothell can purchase tickets online.