SOUTH
Larry Jess — Trumpet (509-448-2731)
Larry has been teaching at the store since we moved to this location in 1985. Previous to having his private studio here at the store, Larry taught at all three major Universities in town, Eastern, Gonzaga, and Whitworth. Larry has had an illustrious performing career, which has taken him on tour with Gunther Schuller’s “New England Ragtime Ensemble,” and performances with artists including Doc Severinsen, Clark Terry, Moody Blues, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, The King Family, Maureen McGovern, Natalie Cole, Ben Vereen, Dukes of Dixieland, Al Hirt, The Fifth Dimension and numerous others. He currently plays principal trumpet for the Spokane Symphony and also plays around Spokane with various brass ensembles, including Spokane Brass Works Brass Quintet, St. John’s Cathedral Brass, and Clarion Brass Choir.
Kelly Bogan — Piano, Guitar, Banjo (509-744-9861)
Classically trained in piano with Margeret Saunders Ott, Kelly attended WSU and graduated from EWU. He studied jazz with Seattle musician Dave Peck, and produced OPUS 1, a composer’s forum. Kelly performs with the bluegrass band The Brown’s Mountain Boys, and with the jazz group The Basement Jazz Quartet.
Bob Evans — Guitar, Bass (509-939-9423)
With a Bachelor of Science in Music Education, Bob has performed with military active duty bands for 30 years. He has toured England, Australia, Vietnam and the U.S. as a military bandsman. Bob currently performs with several jazz ensembles in the Spokane area.
Davis Hill — Jazz & Classical Piano (509-828-7910, davishill@gmail.com)
Classically trained in piano with Kendall Feeney, Davis studied jazz locally with Don Goodwin and Brian Ward, and with Dick Cady in Seattle. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from EWU, where he studied with Jonathan Middleton and Benjamin L. Robertson. Davis has played jazz with many different groups, including dates in NYC, Reno, and all across Washington state. He has been a college English and French tutor for many years.
Rachael Bade-McMurphy — Clarinet and saxophone (509-936-0819, randbmcmurphy@gmail.com)
Rachel Bade-McMurphy is an award-winning vocalist, saxophonist and composer. She grew up in the Inland Northwest and received her bachelor’s degree from Washington State university. She has released two CDs of all-original music which have received international airplay and has written background music for Emmy-nominated promotional spots for KHQ-Q6 of Spokane. She is a woodwind specialist in the Mead school district, maintains a private music studio and is on staff at Holy Names Music Center. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy from Eastern Washington University. In addition to teaching and performing Rachel is an advocate for Jazz and the local music scene. She is the founder of Imagine Jazz which is a non-profit organization that provides concerts, educational events and jam session for the local community.
Steve Friel — Flute, clarinet and saxophone (405-600-8900)
Steve Friel is Professor of Saxophone at Eastern Washington University. He is completing his DMA in Saxophone Performance from the University of North Texas. Mr. Friel has performed as saxophonist and oboist with several professional orchestras from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Washington. He has performed with artists such as Natalie Cole and Tony Bennett. Mr. Friel is an active performer, educator, and clinician.
Jeri Bentley — Violin, Viola (509-413-6808)
Jeri Bentley is a professional violinist in the Spokane Symphony. She has her BA and Masters in music and has been playing her whole life. She plays both violin and viola and is currently accepting students.
Pamela Benton – Violin, guitar, mandolin & ukulele
Available for lessons by Zoom & Facebook (509-458-7802, messages only)
Pamela Benton is a Certified Advanced Suzuki Violin Teacher. She studied classical violin and classical piano at San Jose State University. Pamela sings and performs on five instruments including electric violin, acoustic violin (for classical projects), guitar (lead, rhythm, slide, and finger picking), mandolin and ukulele. Pamela has two CDs, Living by the Lake, an all original, all instrumental and Give Me Wings, featuring Indie Folk Rock and Smooth Jazz songs that showcase Pamela’s vocals. In addition to performing solo, Pamela plays with two 5-piece bands including HoneyBee, a Celtic Fusion band with her twin sister Deby Benton Grosjean, and P.B.& Jam, a contemporary Jazz ensemble. See Pamela perform live on YouTube and visit her website: www.PamelaBenton.net
To schedule lessons on the South side, please contact each teacher directly.