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, Influences (Origin Records, 2024), follows 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.

Ben Markley is a pianist, composer, arranger, author, educator, and leader of the Ben Markley Big Band, a daring ensemble known for their creative takes on beloved modern and contemporary jazz classics. Fresh off the heels of Clockwise: The Music of Cedar Walton, Markley tackled his most ambitious project yet: Ari’s Funhouse, a big band album featuring the music of drummer Ari Hoenig, with Hoenig himself in the drum chair. The album received great critical acclaim and was selected as one of the best 4 star rated albums of 2022 by DownBeat magazine.
Markley is active as a composer and arranger with many big band and vocal jazz charts published through UNC Jazz Press as well as his own website. Recent arranging commissions include the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Wyoming Jazz Educators All-State Jazz Band. In 2023 Markley published Cedar. The Life and Music of Cedar Walton (University of North Texas Press). Markley conducted more than seventy-five interviews with friends and family members, musicians who played with or were otherwise influenced by Walton, and industry figures such as club owners. Musicians interviewed include such stars as Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson, and Ron Carter. Walton’s wife Martha shared her extensive archives of photos, ephemera such as fliers and tour itineraries, and letters to inform Markley’s writing which is the definite biography on Walton.
Markley’s book A Practical Approach to Improvisation - The David Hazeltine Method was published by Jamey Aebersold Jazz in December of 2014. It documents David Hazeltine’s process of creating etudes from transcriptions.
Markley is an active performer in the Denver-metropolitan area and along the front range. He currently teaches jazz piano and serves as department chair of the music department for the University of Wyoming.