Brian Booth

JAM salutes a long-time musician/composer/arranger.

Brian Booth, a terrific musician/composer/arranger, great friend, and a devoted member of the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra for over thirty years, joins us again in the 2023 JAM Christmas Follies.

Saxophonist, composer and arranger, Brian Booth, is a professional free-lance musician who performs across the Wasatch Front and throughout the Intermountain West as the band leader of his own groups, as well as a sideman for several others.

Brian received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of Utah where he majored in jazz composition and jazz studies respectively. He studied jazz composition with Henry Wolking. He is a member of ASCAP, and particularly enjoys composing and arranging for jazz big band.

Brian plays tenor saxophone, flute, and clarinet with the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra (SLCJO), where he has enjoyed being a regular part of the band since the Redman Building days in the early 1980’s. Brian also composes and arranges for the band.

With SLCJO, Brian has had the opportunity to play with a vast number of world class jazz musicians and celebrities including, Pete Christlieb, Phil Woods, Eddie Daniels, Bill Watrous, Louis Bellson, Chuck Findley, Ira Nepus, Frank Sinatra Jr, Nancy Wilson, Patti Austin, Maureen McGovern, and many more.

Brian has been a featured performer at BYU, USU, the U of U, Weber State University, the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival, the Excellence in the Community Concert Series, and the Utah Symphony. In addition to performing with SLCJO, Brian also works with The Night Star Jazz Orchestra, The Valley Jazz Band, and the Crosstown Big Band.

In 2001, Brian partnered up with trombonist Kevin Stout. Under their label, Jazzed5 Records, the CD’s Good Pals, Up Jazz Creek, Tales of the Tetons, and Color Country have been produced and released.

Brian has been a jazz educator at Snow College, BYU- Idaho, UVU, Weber State, and is currently an adjunct professor at the U of U where he teaches jazz composition students.

Brian has adjudicated several music festivals including World Strides on Stage, the BYU-Idaho, Weber State, BYU-Provo, Cottonwood High School, and Davis District Jr. High jazz festivals.

Brian is also a vice president at Harrington & Company, where he has been employed full time since 1977.

Married to the love of his life, Brian and his wife Teriann will soon be celebrating their 44th anniversary. Together they are the parents of three beautiful daughters, and the grandparents of 10 amazing grandchildren.