04/08/2026
Our schedule on Saturday, May 9th is almost full - due to a dropout, we could probably fit only one or two bands (open to combos, vocal jazz, and big band, both middle school and high school) to register for the Leavenworth Jazz Festival 2026 featuring multiple-Grammy award-winning trombonist Michael Dease, along with performances by Columbia Basin College Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz Choir Freeform! Register here if interested: https://www.leavenworthjazzfestival.org/registration
Jazz educator, trumpeter, clinician, artist, and Leavenworth Jazz Association Artistic Director Jared Hall will be joining us this year to adjudicate! Blending post-bop tradition with modern harmonic storytelling, trumpeter and composer Jared Hall creates music defined by lyricism, rhythmic clarity, and expressive depth. A Spokane native, Hall first picked up the trumpet in fifth grade, captivated by the sounds of Lee Morgan and Miles Davis—a spark that continues to shape his voice today. A past winner of the National Trumpet Competition – Jazz Division (2013), Hall has been described by Earshot Jazz as “a fiercely expressive soloist, equally grounded in tradition and innovation.” He has performed and recorded with a wide range of jazz and commercial legends, including Maria Schneider, Paquito D’Rivera, Terence Blanchard, Arturo Sandoval, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Peter Erskine, George Benson, Johnny Mathis, Gloria Estefan, Wycliffe Gordon, Vincent Herring, Troy Roberts, and many others.
Known for his expressive tone and dynamic improvisation, Hall has performed on prominent stages and festivals including Carnegie Hall, Benaroya Hall, The Triple Door, the Bellevue Jazz Festival, Gene Harris Jazz Festival, and Leavenworth Jazz Festival. He has also been a featured soloist with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Symphony Tacoma, South Florida Jazz Orchestra, and Spokane Jazz Orchestra.
Hall’s latest album, Hometown (Origin Records 2026), follows Influences (2024), Seen on the Scene (2021) and his debut, Hallways (2017). His music has been praised by All About Jazz, Jazz Weekly, and JazzTimes, which described his work as “fiery and fluid... steeped in tradition but pushing forward.” His extensive discography also includes Home at Last (2024), Inventions (2021), and Cheap Thrills: The Music of Rick Margitza (2020), North By Freaking Northwest (2019), and Jazz & The Philharmonic (2014), among others.
As a passionate educator, Hall has presented clinics at the Jazz Education Network Conference, NAfME Northwest Division Conference, and Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA). He has taught at institutions including the University of Miami, Indiana University, Northwest University, Pacific Lutheran University, and Jazz Night School. Since 2022, he has served as Director of Jazz Studies at Whitworth University, where he directs jazz ensembles, gives private lessons, and teaches music education courses.
Hall’s students have gone on to win DownBeat Student Music Awards, earn scholarships to prestigious graduate institutions such as Manhattan School of Music, Berklee College of Music, University of North Texas, and University of Northern Colorado, launching professional careers of their own as performers and educators.
Hall is Artistic Director of the Leavenworth Jazz Association, and co-author of The Piano Grip System (2020), a widely used resource for non-pianists learning jazz harmony and theory. Hall remains an active performer throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond where his mentorship continues to shape the next generation of jazz artists and educators.
