eturning to Steamers this week is jazz bassist Jennifer York.  Completing her quartet will be Carol Chakin on reeds, Alexandra Caselli on piano, and Suzanne Morissette on drums.

York’s dual careers as a popular local broadcaster and well-know jazz musician would seem to have little in common, but the California native has long insisted that she “can’t imagine life, one without the other… I love both my careers.”  Growing up in Hemet, she won numerous awards as Outstanding Bassist at jazz festivals attended with the Hemet High School Jazz Ensemble.  She majored in political science at UCLA, eventually getting an internship in New York with “Good Morning America” which turned into a full time job.

 After eight years with no musical involvement, she moved back to Los Angeles.  She enrolled at the Musician’s Institute in North Hollywood and landed a gig playing bass at Disneyland.  When that job ended, she returned to broadcasting part-time as a traffic report for KFWB, and started the all-women Christian rock band, “Rachel Rachel”, making two albums with that group on Word Records.  In 1992, she left the group and began to fly for KTLA, simultaneously beginning to study with famed bassists John Clayton and Chris Hanulick, who is principal bassist for the L.A. Philharmonic.  For the past eight years she has performed with the all-women big band, Maiden Voyage, the jazz quintet “The Jazzbirds”, and has guest performed with John Tesh.  She currently focuses much of her energy on writing for and promoting her York Trio.

 York has become a local celebrity in both fields with her early morning SKYCAM 5 reports, seen on the KTLA Morning News and News at Ten, and regular appearances in local jazz clubs.