säje

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The GRAMMY Award® winning vocal supergroup, säje (rhymes with “beige”), is the brainchild of vocalist/composers Sara Gazarek, Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick, and Erin Bentlage. Born out of close friendship and deep admiration, these world-renowned artists, composers, and arrangers have come together to explore, create, and celebrate the music that moves them. As individuals, each artist has crafted their own notable solo career, and now are delighted to bring their collective voices to this union, traversing a vast array of compelling original material, beloved jazz standards, and contemporary re-imaginings (The Bad Plus, YEBBA, Björk, etc). After debuting an inspiring and energized set at the 2020 Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans, säje went on to tour multiple jazz festivals and clubs from January to March. During quarantine, säje received their first GRAMMY® nomination, for their composition “Desert Song” in the Best Arrangement Instruments and Vocals category. They were awarded the John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize Award for their second composition “Wisteria”, as well as their first Jazz Journalists Association Award Nomination for “Best Vocal Jazz Group”. The collective also recently received gracious support for their continued work through the Chamber Music of America New Jazz Works grant, the Super Patron Grant, the Jazz Road Creative Residencies grant, and the USC Visions + Voices grant. Their highly anticipated debut album was released in August of 2023, featuring new original work and compelling covers, highlighting collaborations with artists Jacob Collier, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ambrose Akinmusire, and more. The album was received  to critical acclaim, and wide reception, landing a #2 spot on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, and peaking at #4 on the iTunes Jazz Chart. The group won their first GRAMMY Award® for their arrangement of “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” in collaboration with their friend Jacob Collier. The union of säje is rooted in the tradition of joy, curiosity, lush harmony, heart-felt expression, and profound sisterhood.

Opening for säje, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s “The Standard”: 

 “The Standard” is the award-winning contemporary vocal jazz ensemble from Kansas City Kansas Community College, directed by John Stafford. They have been invited to perform at the national conferences of the Jazz Education Network (2022 and 2019), the American Choral Directors Association (2017), and the National Association for Music Education (2018). The Standard has also been selected to perform at the Southwestern Divisional Conference of the American Choral Directors Association, Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop, the New York Voices Jazz Festival, and the New York City Jazz Festival at Jazz at the Lincoln Center. 

The Standard has also received a number #1 rating at the University of Northern Colorado/Greeley Jazz Festival. Within the last seven years, The Standard has won twelve DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards for Outstanding Performance for Large and Small Vocal Jazz, Blues/Pop/Rock and Latin Ensembles, in the Community College category. Two of those DownBeat awards included being the 2020 Community College Winner for Blues/Pop/Rock Ensemble and 2020 Community College Co-Winner for Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble. 

In December of 2018, The Standard released their first studio recording, “Feelin’ Good”, and the album has been played on radio stations throughout the Midwest. In September 2020, The Standard has digitally released their first single recording of Justin Binek’s composition, “Reparations”. In October 2021, the ensemble will release their second studio album, entitled “Coal and Diamonds”. The group has shared the stage with such highly acclaimed artists as Take 6, The New York Voices, m-pact, Carmen Bradford, Dianne Reeves, and Marilyn Maye.