Cascade Jazz provides a creative blend of standard, modern and original jazz, fused with world and classical music. We serve up the mixture with energy and elegance. From swing and latin classics through more progressive works by Ornette, Monk and 'Trane, to original compositions, the group always looks to create new environments for group improvisation. Voices, clarinet, saxophones, flutes, keyboards, melodica, acoustic bass, drums, and percussion give the group a wide range of sounds and textures to extend the jazz tradition. We've been delighting audiences since 2001 in many western Washington venues.
Cascade Jazz is five great musicians who can mix and match to perform for your event. We have done a lot of work as an instrumental trio, a vocal quartet, and instrumental quartet, and also as a full quintet.
John Chmaj (pronounced “Shmay”) has been performing professionally for the past 25 years, including the past 9 in the Seattle area. John received his B.M. in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music, and his M.M. at the New England Conservatory, where he has been on the faculty of graduate and undergraduate theory. He has lectured and performed in both Europe and America, and has over 200 original musical compositions to his credit. He plays a variety of instruments and composes regularly for the group. He and his family of 4 children reside in Sammamish, WA.
Vocalist Susanna Fuller has performed in concerts, conventions, television and stage productions in the Seattle area over the past 25 years. She can perform with equal ease in Classical/Opera, Jazz, Pop, Country, Showtunes and World Music styles. Susanna is an experienced singer/songwriter/recording artist as well as comedienne, actor/voiceover talent and vocal coach. She brings onstage passion and class to every performance.
Woodwind performer, dancer, vocalist and composer Sura Charlier has had a long career in the Seattle area performing for many of the area's top jazz orchestras, and concert events. She composes and performs in a variety of musical styles including jazz, latin jazz, flamenco, R&B, chamber, sacred and choral music. Sura received her Bachelor of Music degree from Cornish College in Seattle where she studied music composition and dance.
Court Crawford has been playing professionally since 1984 throughout the Northwest and the San Francisco Bay Area, including stints with Barbara Donald and Unity, Jeffery Morgan, Heliotroupe, Angelsong, and the Mud Bay Jugglers. He has composed several film scores and played in dozens of Broadway pit orchestras. He studied ethnomusicology and composition and graduated from The Evergreen State College. In 1986 he co-founded and played with the Olympia Chamber Orchestra. He has studied music with Glenn Moore, Chuck Metcalf, Milt Hinton, Rick Laird, and Bert Wilson. He now lives near Chinatown in Seattle and he still can't seem to get enough sushi. Neither can his kids, two of whom are taxpayers already.
Brian's initial journey in jazz began in the late 70’s when he was the drummer for an 18-member big band jazz ensemble, in Detroit, Michigan. From there, Brian’s musical life has taken him through pop, rock, Christian rock, and theater; in venues from small clubs to university stadiums.
Since the Fall of 2001, his journey has come full circle, reacquainting himself with jazz – this time in the trio form - as he joined John and Courtney to become the Cascade Jazz Trio. Recognizing the special opportunity he has to make music with such two wildly talented jazz musicians, Brian incorporates the philosophy and wisdom of the great jazz trumpeter, Wynton Marsalis, on the essence of jazz,“Playing jazz is really, having a musical conversation with the other musicians in your ensemble…”.
Brian and his family of four reside in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in North Bend, Washington.
credit: Photos by Mark Peaslee