Saxophonist Tracy Knoop has educated and influenced a generation of Pacific Northwest jazz musicians. Knoop is the jazz orchestra director at the University of Puget Sound, and performs with his quartet around the region.
A graduate of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Knoop toured for a decade with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. He’s performed with household names like Ray Charles, Natalie Cole and the Temptations.
KNKX Music Director Carol Handley spoke with Knoop about opportunities for young players, returning to his hometown as a professional musician, and why Tacoma doesn’t have a dedicated jazz club right now.
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
How do you differentiate the Tacoma jazz scene from the region, or do you?
I wouldn’t too much, because I think they’re all very interconnected. In other words, I mean, I play up in…
