Chris Fagan

...made his professional debut with drummer Dick Berk at The Becket Jazz Festival in 1984 in Claremont, CA. In 1986, Chris traveled to New York City on a National Endowment for the Arts grant for jazz study with tenor saxophonist, David Murray. There he worked with small groups as well as big bands and appeared with names as diverse as organist Jack McDuff, trumpeter Dave Douglas, and Sea Breeze recording artist, Bill Warfield.

In 1991, Chris moved to Amsterdam to become guest saxophone instructor at the Sweelinck Conservatory.  Upon his return to New York in 1992, Fagan released his debut album entitled Lost Bohemia, which features Reggie Workman on bass, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and long time mentor, Bobby Bradford on trumpet.  The CD was released in Europe and the United States on the Open Minds record label based in Germany. With a mind towards pursuing jazz music in a more humane environment, Chris Fagan moved to Seattle in 1995.  In 1997, Fagan recorded Signs of Life, his second CD. The album featured Chuck Bergeron and Brian Kirk, as well as John Hansen. 

Jazz Now has written “Fagan is a fluent, discerning improviser with a clear and pleasing tone….In fact, the last alto saxophonist who caused me to sit up and take such emphatic notice was a youngster named Richie Cole” Paul De Barros of the Seattle Times wrote: “...juicy, piquant tone on alto, a brisk, non-clichéd sense of phrasing and a dynamite feel for swing.”

 Chris on MySpace

Doug Miller

...is an active jazz bassist, composer and teacher living in the Seattle area. Before moving to Seattle, he played professionally in New York City and Indianapolis.  He has toured with the Count Basie Orchestra, the Ellington Orchestra (under the direction of Mercer Ellington), Ernestine Anderson and New Stories, including performances in Japan, Russia, Luxembourg and Canada. 

He has also performed with Mel Lewis, James Moody, George Cables, Pete Christlieb, Mark Murphy, Marvin Stamm, Don Sickler, Karrin Allyson, Bobby Porcelli, Dick Hyman, Bobby Shew, Ken Peplowski, Ray Vega, Jim Rotondi and many other jazz greats. Classically-trained, he has performed in concert with trumpeter Allen Vizzutti in a mixture of composed music as well as jazz standards.  CD credits include Lopin’ (Don Lanphere and Bud Shank, Hep records), Get Happy (Don Lanphere and Pete Christlieb, Origin Records) Don Still Loves Midge (Don Lanphere, Hep Records) Where Do You Start (Don Lanphere, Origin),  Circled By Hounds , Remember Why,  Speakin’ Out , Hope is in the Air: The Music of Elmo Hope (New Stories, Origin) Neighbors (Big Neighborhood, Origin) 360 Degrees (Jay Thomas, Hep Records) Notoriety (Marius Nordal, Origin) and the Grammy-nominated Song for The Geese (Mark Murphy, RCA-BMG). Many of his compositions are featured on the New Stories CD’s as well as several Don Lanphere recordings.

Additionally, he has composed eclectic music for orchestra. Doug also served as the Jazz Bass Instructor at the University of Washington from 1995-2004.

Doug's site on Origin

Phil Parisot

Phil Parisot has established himself as one of the Northwest's premier drummers.  He studied at William Paterson University and in New York City with Rashied Ali and Carl Allen.  Phil has also studied privately with John Bishop, Joe LaBarbara, and Bill Goodwin.
 
Phil's drumming can be heard at many regional clubs and festivals.  He has performed with such artists as Ernestine Anderson, Jay Thomas, Kelley Johnson, Jovino Santos Neto, and the Jim Knapp Orchestra.  Phil has recorded numerous CDs for Origin records, including Big Neighborhood's critically acclaimed Neighbors and 11:11, and Brian Owen's Unmei.  He leads his own quartet Axiom, which performs many of Phil's original compositions.Phil was on music faculty at Cornish College of the Arts for three years, and has also taught at Northwest University, Central Washington University, Seattle Drum School, and within the Seattle Public Schools. 

Phil's site

David White

...spent the last 18 years in New York and Boston working with George Garzone, Valery Ponomarev, Jeff Ballard, Mike Sarin, John Lockwood, and Mickey Roker, among many others. Raised in South America, New York City and Spain, he is a critically acclaimed guitarist and composer.

He has recorded 5 CDs as a leader, toured extensively throughout North America, and his music has been widely reviewed and noted for incorporating diverse influences from Frank Zappa to Paul Hindemith to Led Zeppelin as a springboard for arrangement and improvisation, prompting All About Jazz -Seattle to write “White has staked out his own personal piece of the modern jazz landscape”.

The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD (4th Edition) writes: “White's muffled, sometimes bluesy sound is a refreshing change from the standard Montgomery/Scofield options...(he) remains the most interesting voice among the soloists and it would be good to hear him in a trio situation." James Isaacs, in Boston.Sidewalk, writes: "The music of David White bears traces, and then some, of early-60s Coltrane-esque urgency and primacy...He also uses changes in meter dexterously...And unlike many of his fellow players of that instrument (guitar), there is nothing glib or facile about his solos."  

David studied with pianist Joanne Brackeen and vibist Charlie Shoemake, is a graduate of Pomona College, and now makes his home in the Pacific Northwest.

David’s site