2019 went by like a whirlwind for vocalist Jacqueline Tabor. It was a year of significant opportunity for the Seattle singer, on the heels of her well-received 2018 release, The Lady in the Gown. Tabor was twice featured in the past year with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, first celebrating the Jazz of the Harlem Renaissance, then diving into the legacy of a jazz legend in Tribute to Billie Holiday.
This marks the second consecutive Golden Ear Award for Tabor and 3rd in total, who throughout her evolution as an artist in Seattle has always stayed true to her deep understanding of the blues. As an artist who found herself as a singer later in life than most, Tabor’s delivery speaks to her everyday life, her trials and tribulations as a worker, and a mother. Her intuition for surrounding herself with the right talent has accelerated her career to the benefit of the Seattle jazz community
Each year, the Golden Ear Awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of the previous year in Seattle jazz. In the process, Seattle jazz fans and performers take stock of and show gratitude for the region’s vibrant jazz ecology. The awards are determined by a combination of nominations and popular vote. Nominees are selected by a broad range of Earshot Jazz readers, past Golden Ear recipients, jazz performers, audience members, and industry professionals. Those with the majority of nominations are included on the ballot below.