The Artists

Darren Motamedy was born in 1959 in Los Angeles California and is of Iranian and German French-Irish decent. "My family moved around quite a bit as a youngster," and it was in 1968 while living in Taiwan that Motamedy realized that he was intrigued with music.

"Our family moved to Seattle Washington, and I joined the 5th grade band and played the clarinet." Soon, school lessons expanded to private lessons. "My first teacher taught me to transpose music, write music, and learn all of my scales". Those early lessons were the foundation for where I am today.

Motamedy has thrilled his audiences with his music. His first two CD's while leading, writing, and performing with his first group "Mottoretti" achieved national success, landing spots on the "AC" charts and the "Jazz" charts as well. In 1995, his solo CD and career were launched with his third album "Dangerously Close". This album won the "Best Jazz Album" of the year category with Seattle Based KUBE radio station. "It's All Good" helped Motamedy to be the ambassador of music to Taiwan during the 2000 Northwest Culture Celebration in Taipei Taiwan.

While on this cultural tour to Taiwan, Motamedy met John Sarich, executive chef at Chateu St. Michelle wineries in Seattle. Sarich was taken with Motamedy's skill on the saxophone and encouraged him to write a theme song for Sarich television show "The Best of Taste."

Motamedy continues to produce album after album of hot jazz!

Jeremy Ryan is a well-known presence on the Seattle scene, with four well-received contemporary jazz records to his name. He’s also an in-demand musician for rock, jazz, blues and commercial sessions. Eight years ago, he began revisiting the music that originally inspired him and discovered most of it came from New Orleans. “I followed Fats Domino, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and The Meters and delved into their roots as deeply as I could go. Lee Dorsey once said, ‘I’m not sure, but I think all music comes from New Orleans.’ As I investigated the music, I saw how the great American styles, blues, jazz, funk, and rock’n’roll got started in The Crescent City. I fell under the spell of the music.

Jeremy Ryan grew up in Tacoma, Washington and fell in love with the piano when he was six. His sister had been practicing Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” for months, when he sat down and played it by ear. Piano lessons followed. “Helen Feely was my piano teacher, but I wanted to play by ear so I quit,” Ryan says. “I was more interested in jazz, blues and Fats Domino. I went back to her at 13 for classical lessons. After a year, she told me there was nothing more she could show me.” At 18, Ryan attended Pacific Lutheran University and studied classical piano and performance with Richard Farner, but even before graduation, he was playing jazz in clubs, both solo and with small combos. He made his first CD while he was still in school and did studio work to help pay tuition.

After graduation, Ryan made three more contemporary jazz albums, including one with 18 members of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, playing his original arrangements. Then the New Orleans bug bit. “I took a few years off to investigate the music of New Orleans. Every time I heard a new song, I’d get a big grin on my face, and ain’t that what it’s all about? If I can play this music and make people feel as good as I do when I’m listening to it, then it’s a good deal.”

Seven time Emmy winner and Grammy nominee Steven Ray Allen has teamed his classical guitar with the woodwind instruments of the multi-talented Doug Ostgard. They first met at the University of Washington, where both played in the jazz band. Steve Allen played bass and Doug played saxophone. Steve tells of Doug warming up by playing “dueling saxophones” with future star Kenny G. Doug laughs about how he could always stump Kenny by playing diminished scales that were so strange no one else could easily follow him.

Doug started serious study of music with the Kent-Meridian jazz band, and went on to pursue woodwinds at Western Washington University, the University of Washington and also under private instruction with Mark Eubanks (bassoon) and Johnnie Jessen (sax, flute and clarinet). Doug played regularly in the pit orchestras at the 5th Avenue Theater, the Paramount Theatre, Jack McGovern’s Music Hall and The Moore Egyptian. While living in Las Vegas, Doug performed at a number of showrooms including Caesar’s Palace and the Las Vegas Hilton, working with a large number of entertainers including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Ann-Margret. He was also a member of the Heart World Tour.

Steve Allen began playing music professionally at age 12, and performed with various groups on and off the road through his teens and 20s, playing all styles of music from rock to classical. He became especially known for his bass playing, and became a house bassist at Jazz Alley in Seattle. He has played with such jazz greats as Tommy Flanigan, Hank Jones, Herb Ellis, Diane Schure and Kenny G. He was bandleader and bassist for “The Almost Live Show” from 1984-89. He earned a degree in Musical Engineering from the University of Washington and has a music production company, AM Music Productions in Fall City, Washington. His reputation as an arranger and conductor has led him to arrange orchestral scores for David Lanz, earning him his first gold record for “Christofori’s Dream.” Steve developed an interest in classical guitar and studied with the renowned American guitarist Christopher Parkening.

When Doug moved back to the Northwest after living in Las Vegas, he looked up his old friend Steve to try and put together an ensemble. He was looking for a bass player, but Steve was now playing the classical guitar. A little over two years ago, the duo got together, playing a mix of original tunes, jazz favorites and classical selections in intimate venues, such as Baker Street Books. Their audience immediately began asking for a CD! The result is “Silhouette,” an all original album.

Doug Ostgard plays an array of woodwinds, including flutes, whistles, oboe, bassoon, clarinet and saxophone along with Steve Allen on steel string and classical guitar. Since jazz is what jazz players play, they call it acoustic jazz, but this is something more. There is an overarching feeling of New Age and Classical music as well as the whimsy of the Irish penny whistle. From the opening “Eastern Skies” to a lullaby waltz to the deeply mysterious tones of the bassoon on “Distant Shores” to the meditative Indian flute, the spritely Irish whistle and back to jazz with the title song “Silhouette,” this is an album that is acoustic jazz, and so much more.

I was doomed to be a musician from the day I was born. My father is a musician. His father is a musician. Quarter notes and crescendos run rampantly in my bloodstream. I didn't stand a chance...and I'm perfectly fine with that, because music is one of the few things in life that has never let me down.

I am currently studying music at Washington State University (GO COUGS!) in hopes of making a career out of writing and playing music. However that wasn't my original plan. I previously received a degree in Advertising and also served as the student body Vice President of WSU which seemingly led me on a crash course for a nine-to-five desk job. Now I hope to make the stage my office.

I never thought that this would be the path that my life would take...but I'm thankful for the detour. Getting on a mic and watching people enjoy what i have created has become my passion in life. Writing music has become my therapy. I can say things with my pen that I would never say with my mouth. I am nothing but optimistic for the future because I am still growing as a musician and a songwriter. I am confident that my best work is still yet to come!