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Jim Cutler

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jim began playing the clarinet at age 10, and by age 12 had started playing along with solos by Benny Goodman, Arte Shaw, and Jimmy Dorsey from his parents' record collection. By age 14 he knew he had a passion for jazz, so he borrowed his older brother's tenor sax and auditioned for his Junior High stage band, and within a year went from copying the solos of jazz greats to improvising his own. By high school, he was fully involved in music, performing in the jazz ensemble, orchestra, and choirs.

Receiving both music and academic scholarships, Jim was accepted in the University of Utah's jazz studies program, and graduated in 1986 with emphasis in jazz composition. Seeking a bigger "playground" than Salt Lake City, Jim moved to the Seattle area after graduation, and has been active as both a composer and performer ever since.

Over the years Jim has had the opportunity to work with many talented artists, including Eddie Daniels, Ray Charles, Dave Weckl, The Manhattan Transfer, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Johnny Mathis, Carmen Bradford, Dee Daniels and Richie Cole. Jim has also performed with both the Harry James Orchestra and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.

After working as a sideman for many years, in 2000 Jim established his quartet to provide a more creative and collaborative setting for his compositions and performance style. With Brian Olendorf on piano, Philip Demaree on bass, and Chris Monroe on drums, the group has appeared regularly in Seattle clubs and concert venues. The quartet released its first CD, JCQ--The Jim Cutler Quartet in 2002, following up with For Real in 2003.

In January of 2004, Jim formed the Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra, a 16 piece big band featuring some of the most talented musicians and composers in the Puget Sound area. Carrying on the tradition of great house big bands at the worlds finest jazz clubs, the Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra performs every Sunday at Tula's in Seattle from 8 pm to midnight.

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5
Album Review

Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra: The Wolf Awakens

Read "The Wolf Awakens" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The Wolf Awakens, Seattle-based saxophonist Jim Cutler's third album as leader of his Jazz Orchestra, consists entirely of original compositions including four of his own, half a dozen by trumpeter Daniel Barry and one ("Haze Gray") by Matso Limtiaco. Before appraising them, a word about the ensemble, and that word is exemplary. These are without a doubt some of the finest jazz musicians in that area of the country, and the ease with which they breathe life into these prismatic ...

5
Album Review

Jim Cutler: Gimme Some Sugar. Baby!

Read "Gimme Some Sugar. Baby!" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The music on Seattle-based saxophonist Jim Cutler's second big-band album is thematic; that is to say, it was written with people, places or experiences in mind. Half of the album's ten engaging essays were written by trumpeter Daniel Barry, four by Cutler and one ("Visions at the Monkey Bar") by baritone saxophonist James DeJoie who has his own tour de force, Barry's presumably Sauter-Finegan inspired “Spirit World." The shuffling opener, “Bella's Boogie," was penned by Cutler for ...

317
Album Review

The Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra: In Progress

Read "In Progress" reviewed by Jack Bowers


It's not true that I never met a big band I didn't like. I just haven't met any lately--especially not from the Seattle area, which gradually and without fanfare has become a breeding ground for invigorating contemporary big band jazz. Case in point: the Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra, whose debut CD, In Progress, is a corker from start to finish, and a textbook example of how admirable a regional “no-big-name band can be if everyone is on the same page ...

188
Album Review

The Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra: In Progress

Read "In Progress" reviewed by Edward Blanco


The Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra, a hard-driving local house band from Seattle, debuts with this album sculpted in the finest big band tradition. Led by saxophonist and composer Jim Cutler, the sixteen-piece big band features the best talented musicians from the Puget Sound area. The thirteen lively big band arrangements here are entirely comprised of new original compositions from Cutler and trumpeter Daniel Barry, except for John Coltrane's “Dear Love.

The repertoire conveys a modern swing rhythm, ...

125
Album Review

The Jim Cutler Quartet: For Real

Read "For Real" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone


For its second outing, the Jim Cutler Quartet delivers twelve tracks, of which all but one are original compositions—mostly from Cutler, with two from pianist Brian Olendorf and one from bassist Philip Demaree. The personnel for this Seattle-area group is the same as on its 2002 debut, JCQ.

The music presented on For Real is straight down the middle of the fairway. Cutler is a good melody player and his tenor styling is lyrically in the Scott Hamilton ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Wolf Awakens

Jamco Music
2019

buy

In Progress

Pony Boy Records
2006

buy

For Real

Pony Boy Records
2004

buy

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