Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KNKX's School of Jazz is 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 BECU.

The Seattle JazzED Invasion

Twenty-eight teenagers filled several rooms at KNKX's Seattle studios to perform in 4 groups as a sort of graduation from the Seattle JazzED Summer Advanced Institute. On paper, it looked like disaster... but the kids made it work.

Nervous energy upon arrival quickly turned giddy, no doubt a result of leadership exhibited by their mentors. Seattle native, trumpeter Riley Mulherkar, a member of the Seattle-via-New York brass quartet The Westerlies, had worked with Seattle JazzED before. For this week's Institute, Riley brought his friend, a beloved past studio session visitor, drummer Sammy Miller. 

Along with their skills as musicians, both young men are strong proponents of jazz as a vehicle for a good time. That came through in their live performances with these talented young players.

The skill levels of these teens varied from those taking their first solos (on the radio, no less!), to veterans of the KNKX School of Jazz guest DJ program and past studio sessions.

https://youtu.be/8QOGf8C5NJo","_id":"0000017a-8d1f-d4f4-a97b-af3fd2060000","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/8QOGf8C5NJo">https://youtu.be/8QOGf8C5NJo","_id":"0000017a-8d1f-d4f4-a97b-af3fd2060000","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/8QOGf8C5NJo

Most impressive was the final group, featuring SOJ DJs George Fulton and Colby Jackson, as well as two members of 5 Feet Up, who performed live on 88.5 last Spring: trumpeter Bell Thompson and sax player Aiden Siemann. Their performance of the old Louis Armstrong favorite "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" was full of energy and joy that knocked us off our feet.

Twenty-eight kids, four bands, two terrific mentors, and a dedicated staff of educators at Seattle JazzED helped us achieve the impossible - herding jazz cats was never so much fun.

https://youtu.be/2uwDqeK4UPI","_id":"0000017a-8d1f-d4f4-a97b-af3fd2060004","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/2uwDqeK4UPI">https://youtu.be/2uwDqeK4UPI","_id":"0000017a-8d1f-d4f4-a97b-af3fd2060004","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/2uwDqeK4UPI

https://youtu.be/J2Cd3HrJyro","_id":"0000017a-8d1f-d4f4-a97b-af3fd2060009","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/J2Cd3HrJyro">https://youtu.be/J2Cd3HrJyro","_id":"0000017a-8d1f-d4f4-a97b-af3fd2060009","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/J2Cd3HrJyro

https://youtu.be/EFo9PbnWqx8","_id":"0000017a-8d1f-d4f4-a97b-af3fd2070002","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/EFo9PbnWqx8">https://youtu.be/EFo9PbnWqx8","_id":"0000017a-8d1f-d4f4-a97b-af3fd2070002","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/EFo9PbnWqx8

Abe grew up in Western Washington, a third generation Seattle/Tacoma kid. It was as a student at Pacific Lutheran University that Abe landed his first job at KNKX, editing and producing audio for news stories. It was a Christmas Day shift no one else wanted that gave Abe his first on-air experience which led to overnights, then Saturday afternoons, and started hosting Evening Jazz in 1998.