The first of its kind in the Boise area, Essential Jazz is the brainchild of Founder and Director, Linda Elliott Schmidt. With the help of Quinn Van Paepeghem and many friends and colleagues, this group was started in January of 2013.

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Essential Jazz is made up of 15 singers and 4 combo members.  The singers' end is made up of many local choir educators and other stand-out singers, often former singers of the choir directors of the group.  The combo is made up of outstanding performing musicians and educators from the Treasure Valley.

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We came together with a love for the beauty and power of music, and the message that can be shared through music.  We stay together out of the joy of rehearsing and performing great music, and because of the great fun and fellowship of vocal jazz lovers spending time together.

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Essential Jazz debuted in May 2013  for the Idaho Jazz Society Scholarship Fundraiser at the Riverside Hotel Sapphire Room.  Since then, EJ has continued to perform around the Treasure Valley and is looking forward to continuing to sing and play for music enthusiasts.

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Our repertoire includes charts from Frank Sinatra to Jamie Cullum to Little Big Town.  We have an eclectic program that is rich with tradition, but also features newer pieces and newer artists.  Our emphasis is to bring joy through music to our community and to encourage music education.

 

Check out our upcoming calendar and our personnel bios to see what Essential Jazz is all about.