Three Seattle-area high school jazz bands have been selected from nearly 100 schools across the country to compete in this year’s prestigious Essentially Ellington Competition in New York City.
Jazz bands from Garfield and Roosevelt in Seattle as well as Edmonds-Woodway were the only three high schools selected from a region that includes 11 states and several Canadian provinces.
For Garfield, it’s the 12th time in 15 years it’s been selected to compete under the direction of Clarence Acox.
Garfield has won the Essentially Ellington competition four times. Roosevelt routinely scores high and placed second last year. And, Edmonds-Woodway has been a finalist several times. The three schools will compete with 12 others in New York City in May.