About the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra
Celebrating its 29th season, Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO) is the Pacific Northwest’s premiere big band jazz orchestra. Co-founded in 1995 by drummer Clarence Acox and saxophonist Michael Brockman, SRJO is dedicated to preserving and advancing the tradition of large ensemble jazz through performances, educational programs, and collaborations with renowned artists. SRJO is known for its high-quality performances and commitment to free and affordable jazz education in the Greater Seattle area.
SRJO is a unique 17-piece ensemble that features many of the finest jazz musicians in the region. Seven current members of the orchestra have been inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame, as well as eight former SRJO members. Several have won individual awards for “NW Best Instrumentalist,” “NW Emerging Talent” and “NW Best Recording.”Our members include award-winners, educators, and some of the most sought-after musicians in the area. They have toured with legends, been mentored by icons, and released their own albums. Learn more about The Band. The orchestra's rich repertoire encompasses a wide range of styles and eras in jazz, from ragtime, classic swing, and bebop, to contemporary compositions and arrangements.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Brockman, SRJO has gained recognition for its artistic excellence and contributions to the jazz community.
Our MISSION
SRJO’s mission is to promote appreciation of the uniquely American art form of large ensemble jazz, to share the joy of live professional performance, and to educate future generations of jazz musicians. SRJO offers the Pacific Northwest the highest quality full big band jazz orchestra.
In addition to its members, SRJO regularly features nationally-recognized guest artists such as Anat Cohen, Branford Marsalis, Quincy Jones, and Carmen Bradford. Check out our photo gallery of past concerts.
Board of Directors
Carol Bryant
Susan Colligan
Chris Jamba
Steve Dunphy
Joe Renn
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Immediate Past
President
Abe Beeson
James Brown
Mack Grout
Neal Friedman
Susan Jenkins
Audrey Nutt
Karen Roberts
Stillman Saunders
Ken Steiner
Janet Upegui
Sandra Walker
Staff
Michael Brockman - Artistic Director
Clarence Acox - Artistic Director Emeritus
Angie Bunker - Box Office Manager
Ann-Marie Granger - Production Manager
Joe Walrath - Education Manager
Stephanie Johnson - Design / Marketing Manager
NOTE-BY-NOTE: MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER JAZZ BAND
SRJO is in the "business" of preserving jazz. We work to recover lost-to-print jazz, making available to orchestras the ability to bring these compositions to jazz lovers around the world. We may not have a historic building, but we have been building a historic orchestra, by recovering jazz classics for performance by the ensemble is accomplished by director Michael Brockman, our region's outstanding practitioner of the art of transcribing lost-to-print composition and arrangement, note for note, from vintage recordings.
The SRJO's extensive and growing repertoire is drawn from the 100-year history of jazz, from turn-of-the-20th-century ragtime to turn-of-the-21st-century avant-garde. This included works by America's most famous jazz composers, among them Fletcher Henderson, Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones, and of course, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. In addition, the SRJO's repertoire grows each year as the ensemble adds previously unpublished works to the SRJO library.
