KNKX: School Of Jazz: Recent Episodes
KNKX Public Radio
Since 2005, KNKX's School of Jazz has provided mentorship, learning and performance opportunities to Western Washington middle school, high school and college jazz students. A cornerstone of the station's signature community outreach program, it has directly impacted thousands of jazz students, band directors and professional musicians. School of Jazz is sponsored by Alaska Airlines and BECU.
The Roosevelt High School jazz band, under the direction of Hannah Mowry, brought an all-star quintet to play a session at KNKX.
Featuring current students and recent grads of Seattle's Eckstein Middle School, all-fem combo Hot Mess brought infectious enthusiasm to a studio session honoring Women's History Month.
The Songsters from Seattle's Rhapsody Project connect their musical roots in the KNKX Studio X
Saxophonist Jeff Chang mentors the jazz ensemble from Auburn Mountainview High School in a KNKX School of Jazz studio session.
Watch and listen to an ensemble from the Seattle Academy performing a KNKX School of Jazz session with their mentor Joe Doria on organ.
An all-star jazz ensemble from Bainbridge High School performed in the KNKX studios with their mentor Susan Pascal on vibraphone.
The Bellevue High School jazz band performs with mentor and Seattle trumpet star Thomas Marriott in this KNKX School of Jazz studio session performance.
Snohomish High School "Jazz Illusion" quartet plays a School of Jazz studio session with a holiday twist.
Trombonist Conner Eisenmenger mentors the Decatur High School Jazztet in a KNKX School of Jazz performance
KNKX presents a School of Jazz studio session with the Edmonds Woodway High School jazz ensemble at Boxley's in North Bend
Located between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, Decatur High School in Federal Way is in prime position to soak up all the arts activities on offer. And these teenagers are creating their own art as part of a successful and still-growing jazz program.
Snohomish High School's band program celebrates it's 90th year this year, and the allstar jazz ensemble showed us how talented their musicians are. With saxophonists Kate Olson and Brent Jensen in mentor and instructor roles, it's clear there's some fantastic jazz blowing down from the north.
Ingraham High School's jazz program is booming, expanding to include a pair of big bands under the direction of Shane Henderson. With their mentor, saxophonist Peter Daniel, Ingraham's all-star jazz ensemble showed off their passion for this music in the KNKX studios with a trio of classic tunes.
For a third time, KNKX hosted an all-star jazz ensemble from Central Washington University for a studio session performance. The fresh faces of this combo did have some familiarity, with two former School of Jazz high schoolers in the group as well as our friend, saxophonist Mark Taylor, acting as mentor.
Saxophonist Anton Schwartz wished he'd had more time to work with the young jazz combo from Eckstein Middle School. In the KNKX studios, these six young women stepped up and showed Schwartz there was no need to be nervous. These kids can really play.
Jazz musicians are always learning, and thanks to Seattle's nonprofit Jazz Night School program, students ages 10-74 are getting that education. An all-star ensemble mentored by trumpet and sax player Jay Thomas showed us how fun the early stages of learning jazz can be at any age.
Under the direction of Jim Sisko for the past seven years, the jazz program at Bellevue College is emphasizing a more diverse set of musical skills. The well respected big band remains, but students are focusing more on small groups, improvisation, arranging and composition. When Sisko brought an all-star combo from the college into the KNKX studios, he told us that new focus is paying dividends.
With one of the area's finest trumpet players acting as mentor, the all-star ensemble from Ballard High School's award-winning jazz program proved that these young musicians belong in any conversation about the northwest's finest teenage jazz bands.
After nearly two decades leading the bands at Timberline High School in Lacey, Cal Anderson knows he has some special players on his hands now. Performing three varied standards in the KNKX studios, these five young men impressed our audience and their mentor, Andy Omdahl.
We were so please to have the Mercer Island High School Combo for a School Of Jazz studio performance. Not only did they play some challenging works – they were also able to let us on their musical influences as well as why they love jazz. Band teacher Brian Lawrence described how he chose the tunes for the session. You can catch Dan Marcus preforming with EntreMundos and well as coaching the Seattle Youth Symphony.
The all-star jazz ensemble from Monroe High School, calling themselves Kelsey and the Boys, showed their love of jazz in the KNKX studios. The session provided a good reminder that as the Northwest grows, the once-small-town of Monroe is growing an impressive jazz program.
Asked about learning jazz in the red-hot Northwest scene, Interlake High School junior Kenji Wagner told us the best part is sharing jazz with the community of teenage musicians he encounters.
We first encountered talented pianist Dylan Hayes performing with a trio at Centrum's Jazz Pt. Townsend camp this Summer, and we knew this young man was ready for the KNKX studios.
KNKX hosted students of Seattle JazzED's Summer Advanced Institute for a second time in August, and the kids set a new record for largest group to play in our studios.
It was a fun jazz session with a great group of students, which included two different schools and a variety of age groups. The energy brought by some of the young lions melded nicely with the older aesthetic.
Students from Central Washington University and pianist Dawn Clement performed in our Seattle studios for a special School of Jazz performance.
We welcomed an energetic and skilled high school combo into our studios with Mountlake Terrace. Band members included leader Ethan Pyke on trombone, Benjamin Leonard on tenor sax, Henry Smith-Hunt on trombone, Gian Neri on guitar, Andrew Vinther on bass, Josh Setala on drums and Dimitrio Neri on piano.
The KNKX School of Jazz hit the road for a performance at Seattle Pacific University's beautiful Nickerson Studios and we were knocked out by the talented sextet that makes up the S.P.U. Jazz Ensemble.
The students from Tahoma High School in Maple Valley, Wash. performed effortlessly in our studios for their School Of Jazz studio performance. Led by trumpeter and mentor Bobby Medina, the group kicked off their performance with a rendition of “Girl From Ipanema.”