1st Place: Sue Orfield Band
2nd Place: The Klenz/Walk Sextet
3rd Place: UWEC Jazz I
 
We may not have Karl Malone or John Stockton, but Eau Claire does have excellent contributors to jazz. Voted the Valley’s number one jazz band, is none other than The Sue Orfield Band. Playing the sax for nearly 30 years has earned Sue many prestigious awards as well as the opportunity to play with several musical greats. This honor comes in perfect timing with the release of their new album, Bonk!, the release show of which is Sept. 20 at The House of Rock. Coming in second is The Klenz/Walk Jazz Sextet. Led by outstanding trumpet and vocals, they play everything from classical to contemporary jazz. Besides studying to one day become music teachers, performers, or discovering other ways to share their talent, people involved in UWEC Jazz I obviously put on an amazing show. In third place, they do it for the love of the music. – Mitchell See