The Jim Wilke Great Big Birthday Party. Photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn.
Jim Wilke blows out the candles (photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn).

Photos: Jim Wilke’s Birthday Party

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2026-04-20 Hardly Raining

On April 20, 2026, Seattle’s jazz community gathered at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley to celebrate influential broadcaster Jim Wilke. Wilke retired in 2023, after a multifaceted career that spanned nearly 65 years. The event featured performances by two jazz ensembles, toasts from jazz luminaries and former colleagues, and a birthday cake baked by venue owner John Dimitriou himself. Wilke turns 89 this week.

The Jim Wilke Great Big Birthday Party. Photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn.
Jim Wilke.
The Jim Wilke Great Big Birthday Party. Photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn.
John Bishop Quartet: Marc Seales (piano), Thomas Marriott (trumpet), Jeff Johnson (bass), and John Bishop (drums).
The Jim Wilke Great Big Birthday Party. Photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn.
Milo Petersen and the Jazz Disciples: John Hansen (piano), Steve Griggs (saxophone), Jay Thomas (trumpet), Phil Sparks (bass), and Milo Petersen (drums).
The Jim Wilke Great Big Birthday Party. Photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn.
Wilke’s sons, sitting in on bass and drums.

Gallery: The Jim Wilke Great Big Birthday Party