The Spokane All-City Jazz Ensembles program (SAJE) was established in 2003. It began under the direction of Rob Tapper with one big band fielding some of the finest young jazz musicians in the area. Since the first year, the program has expanded to the Middle School level and has served hundreds of young musicians.
Brian McCann assumed control of the organization upon Rob's departure in 2012. During Brian's tenure, the program flourished with highlights including the implementation of the All-star JAM group in addition to the SAJE in the summer program.
In 2017, Christopher Parkin was named Artistic Director. Covid-19 hit in early 2020 and the program was not able to run in its normal capacity for 2 years.
In 2022, SAJE is being relaunched with a new director, Rachel Bade-McMurphy.
Tone poet and sound seeker Rachel Bade-McMurphy uses her voice, woodwinds and compositions to explore the depths of jazz and the creative world. A woman of many hats, she is a musician, teacher, presenter, radio host and arts advocate. She was awarded a 2024 Chamber Music of America Performance Plus grant for her Glass Bead Orchestra, a dynamic Jazz ensemble with lush wind orchestrations seeking to take the listener on a programmatic journey of poetic musings and the magical free association of the Art Spirit. She received her bachelor’s degree in music from Washington State university and masters degree from Eastern Washington University in Jazz studies. She is the artistic director of SAJE (Spokane All City Jazz), the woodwind specialist in the Mead school district, teaches adjunct at EWU and Whitworth, maintains a private music studio and is on staff at Holy Names Music Center. She has released two CDs of all-original music which have received international airplay and has written background music for Emmy-nominated promotional spots for KHQ-Q6 of Spokane. In addition to teaching and performing, Rachel is an advocate for Jazz and the local music scene. She is the founder of Imagine Jazz, a non-profit providing concerts, educational events and jam sessions to enrich the community. She also works for Spokane Public Radio hosting the “Afternoon in Jazz” on friday afternoons.
Brendan McMurphy is an energetic performer with a varied and modern approach. He received his BA from Washington State University in Trumpet Performance and MA from Washington State University in Jazz Studies. He performs on both drums and trumpet in many small and large groups throughout the Inland Northwest. Including Son Dulce, Jared Hall Quartet, Brent Edstrom Trio, David Larsen groups and many others.
His composition "Somewhere, Someplace" was featured in JAZZIZ magazine in 2009. He is on faculty at Spokane Falls Community College and Whitworth University.
For the last two years he has focused on training our All-star groups to create original compositions and unique arrangements in addition to teaching the tradition.
Austin Long is a multi-instrumentalist and music teacher from Spokane, Washington. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Eastern Washington University in 2012 and his Master's Degree in Music Technology in 2022 from Southern Utah University, and currently performs in Spokane and nearby areas regularly. Primarily a saxophonist, Austin also performs on clarinet, flute, and keyboards, in a range of styles including jazz, funk, pop, rock and others. He got his start playing music professionally while attending EWU and went on to refine his skills playing on cruise ships afterwards. Upon returning to Spokane, he has performed with Spokane Jazz Ensemble, Brook Gannon Trio, Zonky Jazz Band, Jason Perry Band, Son Dulce, a group of his own creation, Funky Unkle, and many others. He currently teaches music to students of all ages, arranges and composes music for private clients including Gonzaga University Jazz Ensemble, and performs as much as he can.
* Dave Pietro | * Bijon Watson |
* Dana Landry | * Willie Jones |
* Marcus Printup | * Steve Treseler |
* Mark Taylor | * Rogerio Boccato |
* Reggie Thomas | * Jaleel Shaw |
* Paul McKee | * Marquis Hill |
* Ryan Keberle | * Ralph Alessi |
* Jared Hall | * Caroline Davis |
* Tim Berne | * Jeremy Pelt |
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spokaneallcityjazz.org. All rights reserved.
99223
spokaneallcityjazz.org. All rights reserved.