Paloma Ximena

Paloma Ximena, clarinet and saxophone
Joe Gilman, piano
Levi Saelua, saxophone
Skylar Tang, trumpet
Oscar Wisnia, drums
Stan Jarmolowicz, bass

This program follows the path Paloma Ximena took as she developed into the musician she is today. Starting with her love for New Orleans Jazz, she takes us through the history of Jazz, including the history of the saxophone and clarinet, ending with original compositions by herself and her members of the group. She carefully selected the pieces she loves most for the show, but most importantly chose the musicians she loves the most.

Set List:

‘High Society – Porter Steele

Shreveport Stomp – Jelly Roll Morton
Moulin à Café – Sidney Bechet
Summertime – George Gershwin
Soul Station – Hank Mobley
Body and Soul – Johnny Green
Martha’s Prize – Cedar Walton
Hummingbird – Paloma Ximena arr. Skylar Tang
Spiral – Brad Mehldau

Through phenomenal musical educational resources in the greater Sacramento area, Paloma Ximena has discovered and explored her passion in life with ample support.

Paloma started playing music, on the recorder at age 9, at Deterding Elementary in Carmichael, and quickly excelled. A few months later, after mastering the fourth grade recorder curriculum, she decided to teach herself the clarinet. By the sixth grade, she had taught herself the alto saxophone and was selected for Arden Middle’s after school jazz combo. Immediately she fell in love with jazz and learned as much as she could. At the 2019 Teagarden Traditional Jazz Camp, sponsored by Sacramento Jazz Education Foundation (SacJEF), Paloma was introduced to Early New Orleans Jazz, which is a core in her music to this day. Mentors like Bill Dendle, Parker Weis, Anita Thomas, and Shelly Burns heavily encouraged her to pursue this music.

Paloma naturally decided to attend Rio Americano High to become a member of the world-famous Rio Band. Under the incredible direction of Josh Murray, she has been lead alto saxophone of the Rio Americano AM Jazz Ensemble since her sophomore year. In 2022, Rio was selected to perform at the Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival in New York City where Paloma won the Outstanding Clarinet and Outstanding Alto Saxophone awards. After attending the festival, she was awarded a full-ride scholarship to attend Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy, a two-week summer camp featuring instruction from the top jazz musicians alive today.

Building off of the loving and rigorous instruction in Sacramento, Paloma has branched out and studied with many musicians from across the country including Wynton Marsalis, Ted Nash, Victor Goines, Greg Tardy, Alexa Tarantino, Marcus Printup, Katie Thiroux, Sal Lozano, Rodney Whitaker, Michael Dease, Helen Sung, Jocelyn Gould, Dr. Lenora Helm, Ingrid Jensen, James Chirillo, and many more.

Paloma was selected for the 2023 California All-State Jazz Ensemble and the 2023 Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo. She is a four-time YoungArts award winner and has received the Bob Draga Clarinet Scholarship, California Alliance for Jazz Scholarship, and SacJEF Music Lessons Awards.

Today, she plays and performs in various settings such as lead alto in the Rio Americano AM Jazz Ensemble, lead tenor in the SFJazz High School All-Stars, and clarinet in SacJEF’s The New Traditionalists. She gets called to play in several groups around town as well. Paloma plans to pursue music as a career by continuing her studies in college as a Jazz Studies major.