Instrument(s): clarinet & vocals
Hometown: Bellingham, Washington
Member since: 2005

Claire is currently attending Western Washington University, majoring in English Education with a minor in Music. She started playing clarinet in the fifth grade, but her love of jazz began when she was about four years old and started attending monthly jazz club meetings with her father, a devoted fan and follower of traditional jazz.

In 2003, Claire was invited to join a new seven piece band comprised of five experienced musicians and two younger, less experienced musicians. It was a visionary move that has greatly benefitted Claire and fellow guest artist Bria Skonberg, and that band is called the Louisiana Joymakers.

Besides being in this band, Claire has had some opportunities to sit it with several bands at jazz festivals up and down the West Coast. Last fall she met well-known trumpet player Wynton Marsalis and ended up playing onstage during the encore of his show in Seattle, Washington.