The Earshot Jazz Festival (which takes place from October 7 to November 4 this year) always brings great performers to Seattle, but this year's youth- and women-focused program promises some especially exciting shows that our critics don't think you should miss, including a quartet helmed by Tina Fuller (a member of Beyoncé's backing band, among many other things), jazz harpist Brandee Younger, and saxophone maestro Kamasi Washington. See all of their picks below, and find even more options on our complete Earshot calendar.

OCTOBER 12

Samantha Boshnack — Seismic Belt
Composer and trumpeter Samantha Boshnack will be performing her original complex composition "Seismic Belt," which was created at a prestigious residency and is described as evoking "human adaptation to the Ring of Fire." She will be joined by violinist and composer Lauren Elizabeth Baba.
The Royal Room

OCTOBER 14

Afrocop, Paces Lift
Hear a set from the much-celebrated local trio Afrocop, with group leader, composer, and keyboardist Noel Brass, Jr., who play a mix of soul, afrobeat, breakbeat, sci-fi, and jazz, and opening vinyl drops from Paces Lift.
Lo-Fi Performance Gallery

OCTOBER 17

David Sanborn Jazz Quintet
"Saxman supreme" and six-time Grammy-winning David Sanborn has played with Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Paul Simon, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, and the Rolling Stones.
Triple Door

Kamasi Washington
Saxophone maestro Kamasi Washington is a jazz musician for badass motherfuckers, or at least his most recent outing, 2018 sophomore LP Heaven and Earth, sure feels that way, full of dramatic 1970s vintage funkadelia-influenced sounds (go listen to “Fists of Fury” right now) and mind-expansive fusionistic moments of exploration and experimentation. Also, he’s worked with a wide range of venerable talents, among them Thundercat, Kendrick Lamar, and Flying Lotus. Dude's got chops worth seeing and hearing in person
 if you can manage to scrounge up tickets; Kamasi’s Seattle date has been sold out for weeks. LEILANI POLK
The Showbox

OCTOBER 19

Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom
Armed with an exhilarating approach of patterns within patterns (and sometimes patterns within those), keen subtlety, plus a strong sense of history and where to mix up history, Allison Miller is one of the greatest jazz drummers currently playing. As if that weren’t enough, local phenom Dawn Clement (piano, sometimes vocals) joins in for this gig, taking a night off from Cornish. Other players include violinist Jenny Scheinman, bassist Tony Scherr, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, and Kirk Knuffke on cornet. ANDREW HAMLIN
PONCHO Concert Hall

OCTOBER 21

An Evening with Pat Metheny w/ Antonio SĂĄnchez, Linda May Han Oh, & Gwilym Simcock
Jazz guitarist and musical explorer Pat Metheny has enjoyed a varied career, from collaborations with David Bowie and countless other musicians to smooth jazz to designing and building his own Orchestrion, which is basically an ensemble of unmanned instruments on stage with him, all triggered by his guitar. In this performance, he'll be joined by Antonio SĂĄnchez, Linda May Han Oh, and Gwilym Simcock.
Admiral Theatre

Tribute to Dave Lewis ft. D’Vonne Lewis & Friends
Local notable (and one of Charles Mudede's favorite drummers) D'Vonne Lewis will honor his grandfather Dave, a legendary Seattle jazz and blues crafter who was a pioneer integrator of black and white musicians. He'll be joined in this tribute by Hammond B3 power-player Joe Doria and guitarist Andy Coe.
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

OCTOBER 23

Jazzmeia Horn
Dallas-bred vocalist Jazzmeia Horn will be joined by Victor Gold (piano), Barry Stephenson (bass), and Henry Conerway III (drums) for an evening of superb interpretations of jazz classics.
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

OCTOBER 26

Brandee Younger, Gretchen Yanover
Rare talent Brandee Younger is one of the few musicians working today to claim the jazz harp as their lead instrument. She's worked with world music leaders like Ravi Coltrane and the Brooklyn Raga Massive. Local cellist Gretchen Yanover, who blends African-American, Russian, Jewish, and European classical styles into her music, will open.
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

OCTOBER 27

Madison McFerrin, SassyBlack
Celestial soul queen SassyBlack will be joined by New York singer-songwriter-producer Madison McFerrin for an evening set of smooth vocal dexterity and dynamic electronic work.
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra with Sheryl Bailey
Guitar goddess Sheryl Bailey will perform a program of jazz standards with the Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra, including the world premiere of the 2018 Composition Contest winner, "A Step To My Dream," by Tracy Yang.
Rainier Arts Center

NOVEMBER 3

Tia Fuller Quartet
Saxophonist Tia Fuller has garnered acclaim for her many notable actions, like serving as a member of Beyoncé's backing band and the Mack Avenue Super Band, performing at the White House, and teaching at Berklee College, among many other things.
Seattle Art Museum

NOVEMBER 4

Jane Bunnett & Maqueque Cuban Women’s Ensemble
Grammy-nominated and JUNO-winning artist Jane Bunnett originally created Maqueque as a project to record and mentor young Cuban female musicians, and has seen it through to its current form as one of the top groups on the North American jazz scene.
Triple Door