Celebrating Five Points Jazz Festival Performers: Lynn Baker Quartet

This week we are shining a spotlight on some of the talented performers you will hear during the upcoming Five Points Jazz Festival, one of Denver’s best annual musical events. For schedule information, go to kuvo.org.

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Malcolm Lynn Baker is a musician, a composer, an educator, a university administrator — and a busy man! In his day job he serves as director of the jazz studies department at the University of Denver’s prestigious Lamont School of Music. He arrived at the post in 2013 after teaching at several other universities and in his short tenure he has expanded the program to include 15 ensembles, three big bands, three vocal ensembles and nine combos.

Baker, who plays tenor and soprano saxophone as well as the congas, also leads his own ensembles – the “free-improvisation” Rhythmic_Void trio, a quintet and a quartet. It is the Lynn Baker Quartet that will be performing this Saturday on the Arts and Venues Stage at 26^th and Welton streets from 4:30-5:30pm as part of the Five Points Jazz Festival. Come see what this teacher can do!

Baker’s route to jazz prominence began inauspiciously. Born in Salem, OR, his farther was a barber and son Lynn often shined shoes at the shop. Next door was a music store where Lynn spent much of his time. Musically inclined, he started piano lessons at age seven and formed a band when he was in 5^th grade with his sister’s hand-me-down clarinet. But in middle school, his mother bought him a saxophone and he found his musical home when he started playing with a Dixieland band in the 8^th grade.

In addition to his tireless work at Lamont as professor, coach, conductor, mentor and performer, Baker has made quite an impact in the Denver community. He performs with and directs the Rocky Mountain Jazz Repertoire Orchestra, he programs the annual jazz series at Cherokee Ranch, as well as the Castle Performing Arts series, and travels around the country giving clinics and workshops. His critically acclaimed 2010 CD, “Azure Intention” has been on several “best of” jazz lists.

Come see the Lynn Baker quartet and judge for yourself. The boy in the barber shop is sounding great!