"Jim Knapp's music is full of intensity,
emotion, and creative textures with many varied influences. His music
should be more known. It's among the best of orchestral jazz being
written these days. Refreshing..."
–Maria Schneider, jazz composer
The Jim Knapp Orchestra is a 14-piece jazz ensemble that has achieved a unique and original sound through the compositions and arrangements of Jim Knapp. The orchestra features many of the finest jazz soloists in the Northwest.
JKO has appeared at the Seattle Drum School, Tula's, the Earshot Jazz Festival, Cornish College of the Arts, IAJE festival (Long Beach), Jazz Alley, the Seasons Performance Series (Yakima), Bumbershoot, Patti Summers' Jazz Club, About The Music, Jazzbones, the Medenbauer Center, Arts West, and the OK Hotel.
In addition, JKO has appeared in collaboration with Lee Konitz, Jay Clayton, Julian Priester, Jovino Santos Neto, Whitney James, Johanna Kunin, Robin Holcomb, Kirk Nurock, Carla Bley, and Steve Swallow. The band has received the Earshot "Best Acoustic Jazz Group" and "Recording of the Year" awards and was on several lists of best recordings of 2003.
Available recordings include "On Going Home" (Seabreeze Jazz 2078), "Things For Now" (A-Records AL73180), and "Secular Breathing" (Origin 82412).
"Knapp's lyrical, sophisticated, Gil Evans-like
arrangements roil like clouds on a blustery day, with multiple
themes surfacing and submerging in the complex harmonies. He also uses
the best musicians in town." –The
Seattle Times
Personnel
Jim Knapp – composer and conductor
Paul Taub - C flute, alto flute, piccolo
Mark Taylor – soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, flute
Steve Treseler – alto and tenor saxophones, bass and soprano clarinets
Stuart MacDonald – tenor saxophone, flute
Jim DeJoie – baritone saxophone, clarinet.
Brad Allison – trumpet, flugelhorn
Jay Thomas - trumpet, flugelhorn
Vern Sielert - trumpet, flugelhorn
Tom Varner – French horn
Jeff Hay – trombone
Chris Stover – bass trombone
John Hansen – piano
Jon Hamar – bass
Matt Jorgenson - drums
