Garfield High School Jazz has been selected to compete in the 2025 Essentially Ellington competition! They will be joined by other local bands from Roosevelt, Mountlake Terrace, and Bothell High Schools. The competition is May 5–11, 2025.

Faculty member Jared Sessink has been the director since 2019. See the Garfield Jazz website (www.garfieldjazz.org) for more about their upcoming performances, their directors, and how you can even hire a combo of these great musicians for your own event.

Garfield has been a frequent participant in the Essential Ellington National Jazz Band Competition and Festival at Lincoln Center in New York City. This is the most prestigious high school jazz competition in the USA, with 30 schools invited to participate this year out of over 100 applicants. Under the direction of Clarence Acox, Garfield was selected as one of 15 finalists 15 times, including an unprecedented four first-place trophies happening in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010, as well as second place in 2002 and 2008 and third place in 2006.