Founder’s Statement
The Seattle Jazz Heritage Institute was founded on a simple conviction: the story of jazz should be told with historical integrity, and the African American musicians, communities, and cultural traditions at the heart of that story should remain visible and central to its telling.
Over the past six years, I have had the opportunity to experience Seattle's rich and celebrated jazz legacy firsthand —through performances, participation in the city's vibrant jazz community, and conversations with musicians, educators, historians, and arts leaders. These experiences have deepened my appreciation for Seattle's important contributions to jazz and, at the same time, revealed an opportunity to strengthen how that history is preserved, shared, and carried forward.
Jazz is widely recognized as an African American-created art form whose influence has reached around the world. Yet the people, communities, stories, and cultural experiences that shaped its development are not always equally visible in the ways jazz history is presented, taught, and experienced. At the same time, Black youth remain underrepresented in many jazz. education and development pathways, creating a disconnect between the communities at the heart of jazz's history and the young people being prepared to carry its legacy forward.
The Seattle Jazz Heritage Institute was founded to help bridge that gap.
Our purpose is not simply to celebrate jazz, but to preserve its history, make its cultural heritage accessible and meaningful, elevate the next generation of artists and leaders, and strengthen the connections among the people and organizations that sustain Seattle's jazz community.
I believe Seattle has both a responsibility and an extraordinary opportunity to ensure that its jazz legacy is not only remembered, but understood, experienced, and carried forward by future generations.
Robert N. Warfield, Founder
Vision
We envision a Seattle where jazz is preserved, celebrated, and passed on as a living expression of African American history, creativity, resilience, and innovation.
Mission
Seattle Jazz Heritage Institute preserves and promotes the cultural heritage of jazz, elevates the next generation of artists and leaders, and centers the voices, experiences, and contributions of the African American community through immersive cultural experiences, education, mentorship, and performance.
Collaboration Partners
TBD
Advisory Board
TBD