Stage Time - by musicians for musicians

Bellingham Jazz Jam

All-ages jazz jam every Sunday, 6–9pm, at The Hotel Leo in downtown Bellingham.

Join the Bellingham jazz jam every Sunday, 6–9pm, at The Hotel Leo. All ages and skill levels welcome to sit in with a house band of veteran players, or just listen.

Every Sunday night, Bellingham's jazz community gathers at The Hotel Leo for an all-ages jam session where young musicians share the stage with seasoned professionals.

Jam Session Details

  • When: Every Sunday, 6–9pm
  • Where: The Hotel Leo, 1224 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
  • Phone: (360) 746-9097
  • Who: All ages and all skill levels, players and listeners alike
  • Hosted by: Scot Ranney and Friends, presented by Stage Time

A Jazz Jam with a Purpose

The Bellingham jazz jam is more than a night of live music. It's the heart of Stage Time's mission: giving aspiring musicians real experience on stage with veteran players. A house band of top local professionals holds down the rhythm section, and musicians from middle school through retirement sit in to play standards, take solos, and learn the things you can only learn on the bandstand.

Counting off a tune, trading fours with the drummer, knowing when to come back in with the head, reading the room: students who come to the jam learn all of it in front of a live audience, with pros backing them up.

Sitting In at the Jam

Bring your instrument and let the band know you'd like to play. Pick a standard you know well, and don't worry about being nervous. Everyone on that stage started somewhere, and the Bellingham jam is known for being a welcoming place to try new things.

Music teachers regularly bring their students to work up a tune and play it live. If you teach jazz in the Bellingham area, your students are welcome.

Come for the Music

You don't have to play to enjoy the jam. Sunday nights at The Hotel Leo bring together listeners, families, students, and longtime Bellingham jazz fans for three hours of live music, where no two nights are ever the same.

Visiting from out of town? Plenty of guests plan a weekend stay at The Hotel Leo around Sunday night jazz.

What Musicians and Families Say

"I'm very fortunate to be able to work with musicians like Scot Ranney, and am honored to participate in his jam session held every Sunday, where the tradition continues of encouraging young, local musicians to sit in and develop their voice."

Joel Kruzic, Bass, Western Washington University

"He has advanced in his musical development by playing with peers, college students, pros and retired musicians. ... We're grateful for the environment you've fostered, where it's safe to try new things, have fun and build community."

Cambria Schmidt, musician parent

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bellingham jazz jam open to all ages?
Yes. The Sunday jam at The Hotel Leo is all ages, and young players are especially encouraged to sit in.

Do I need to be a professional to play?
Not at all. Players of every level are welcome. The veteran house band is there to support you.

What kind of music is played?
Mostly jazz standards, with room for blues and other styles depending on who shows up.

Who runs the jam?
The jam is hosted by pianist Scot Ranney and presented by Stage Time, a Bellingham 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pays veteran musicians to mentor young players on stage.

Help Keep the Jam Going

Stage Time hires the veteran musicians in the house band, and donations make that possible. If the Sunday jam matters to you, please consider a tax-deductible donation to Stage Time. Learn more about our mission.

August 2025, From the "Salish Current"
Mentoring musicians in Whatcom County

Stage Time is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving musicians in the Bellingham area.
We put aspiring musicians on stage with the best veteran players we can hire, so they learn the craft where it's really taught: in front of a live audience.
Support Stage Time

Your donation lets us hire top veteran musicians to share the stage with young players. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

We'll email you a PDF receipt for your tax records.

Bellingham Jazz Jam at the Hotel Leo Sundays 6-9pm

Bellingham Jazz Jam Session

Join us Sundays from 6–9pm at The Hotel Leo for an all-ages jazz jam. A house band of veteran players holds down the stage, and musicians of every level are welcome to sit in. Students and young players are especially encouraged.

Many thanks to The Hotel Leo, a great supporter of Bellingham jazz.

See more photos and videos of the jam on Facebook.

Boundary Bay Jazz Jam

What They Say About the Sunday Jazz Jam
"Fun to see and hear all the wonderful talent last night, Scot Ranney! There aren't many places where you can hear the veterans side by side with the new generation of players. I had that opportunity at the Moore Theatre last month, playing with David Grisman. The stage was packed with young and old and the love was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Thanks for creating a cultural breeding ground where people can see and experience cross generational creative fun in action! Your Sunday jams at Boundary Bay are a blessing to the Bellingham jazz community." ~ Matt Eakle, Flute (2024, when the jam was at Boundary Bay)

"If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music." - Albert Einstein

Want to sit in, volunteer, or sponsor a jam? Get in touch!

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