Seattle Women In Jazz Honor 'Swing Years' Host Amanda Wilde
Seattle Women in Jazz will honor KUOW’s host of The Swing Years And Beyond, Amanda Wilde, with an award for her inspiring contribution and dedication to the jazz community. The award will be presented to Wilde on Saturday, February 15 at a swing dance party at Columbia City Church of Hope, as part of the second annual Seattle Women in Jazz Festival.“Swing Years is KUOW’s longest running program, having been on KUOW continuously for nearly 50 years,” said KUOW’s Director of Programming Jeff Hansen. “Amanda brings her deep love and knowledge of the music to the program and listeners respond regularly with their admiration for (her) remarkable and compelling selection and presentation of the music. The award from the Seattle Women in Jazz is a most welcome recognition of Amanda’s work and so richly deserved.”
Every Saturday night from 7 p.m. to midnight, The Swing Years and Beyond features popular music of the 1920s through the 1950s, with a mix of jazz, swing, and popular song. Wilde, who has hosted the long-running show since 2003, has also conducted award winning radio interviews. Among them a conversation with Frankie Manning, the originator of the Lindy Hop, and series such as Swing Ladies Swing, which features contemporary interviews with female vocalists of the ‘30s and ‘40s.
“Seattle’s thriving music scene dates back to the time Miss Lillian Smith led the first jazz band performance in Washington Hall in 1918. It is my privilege to continue that legacy by stewarding Seattle’s longest running radio program, presenting music that gives us a unique lens on our history and culture, music that continues to excite and inspire,” said Wilde. “That The Swing Years resonates so strongly with our audience is a testament to the original jazz sounds which influence American popular music to this day. I’m grateful to be honored by Seattle Women in Jazz at their annual festival. “
The Seattle Women in Jazz Festival runs February 13-16 at various Seattle locations.
