After 36 years, jazz educator Knatt steps down

Washington Middle School band director Robert Knatt, one of the pillars of Seattle's award-winning jazz-education programs, announced his retirement Monday.

"After 36 years, I think that's kind of enough," Knatt said. "It's time to move aside and let some young, energetic person ... motivate these people."

Knatt, 59, came to the Seattle School District from Louisiana in 1972 and has taught at Washington Middle School since 1990.

Since then, the school's jazz band — along with Seattle's Eckstein Middle School jazz band — has dominated statewide, regional and even national competitions.

From 1994 to 2002, Knatt's band won eight times in a row at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, in Moscow, Idaho.

The middle school has served as a "feeder school" for Garfield High School, whose jazz program has been equally powerful. Many alums of Washington and Garfield, such as flutist Anne Drummond and trumpeter Tatum Greenblatt, have gone on to professional jazz careers.

Washington Middle School competes this weekend at the Reno Jazz Festival, where the band has taken top honors five times since 1998. The band then goes to the Heritage Festival in Fullerton, Calif.

Knatt — who last year became the first middle-school director ever given an Achievement Award for Jazz Education from the national jazz magazine Down Beat — said he has no specific plans for the future.

"I'm gonna lay low for a while, see what happens, you know?" he said.

Knatt's successor has not been selected.

Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com