About The Band...

Jump Me Martha is a five-piece swing-based band that plays classics from the Swing Era, as well as their own tunes they hope will become new swing standards. Swing music was meant to be danced to, and Jump Me Martha gigs attract members of swing and ballroom dance clubs, especially those who are into high energy jive, jitterbug, West and East Coast swing and Lindyhopping.
Their lyrics are surprisingly contemporary, while the musical style and arrangements pay homage to the traditions inherent in the best music of the Swing Era.

Suzanne Paschall (songwriter/vocals)....is a pianist, songwriter and singer who has written songs for recording artists, the stage and television. She has performed across Western Canada, and recorded with other bands. She released her first full length CD, Life Sentences, in 2004. She also has a great deal of experience in theatre, acting in both dramas and musicals.

Tommy Dahl (songwriter/keyboards/vocals).... is a long-time favorite performer with the North Battleford Big Band, and a regular at the Saskatchewan International Jazz Festival. Tommy recently went home to Winnipeg, but returns to Saskatchewan to work with Suzanne. He has played keyboards, written and arranged musical works and album projects for Lorrie Church, Lisa dal Bello, Angela Kelman (helping her to form Farmer’s Daughter) and Wilma Groenen. He dazzles audiences with his amazing honky-tonk and boogiewoogie playing skills. He also sings and isa talented arranger, and performs on and is arranger/producer of Life Sentences.

Garnet Speer (saxophone/clarinet)...started his musical endeavors at the age of eight with the North Battleford (SK) City Kinsmen Band. At university, he was a member of the University of Saskatchewan Varsity Band from 1957 to 1962. He spent the summer of 1958 blowing Dixieland jazz at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Park, Alberta. He went on in the early 1960s to gig the winter season Jacksonville & Miami, Florida as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico. He's played locally in Saskatchewan for many years with numerous orchestras including the Melotones, Blue Denim, the Bourbon Street Dixieland Show Band, and others.
Garnet's clarinet sound is unmistakable but you'll always hear a little Pete Fountain, Barney Bigard, and yes, Benny Goodman. Garnet has a very personal sax style that harkens back to all the greats but suffice it to say that it is earthy, sweet and swingin'.

Brett Balon (percussion)... Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4  has been a professional musician and private instructor in Saskatoon for 9 years.  A multi-instrumentalist on the drums, keyboards, guitar, and vibraphone, Brett has performed with the Saskatoon Symphony as a percussionist amidst frequent local gigging  and private teaching.  He currently teaches band and guitar at Aden Bowman Collegiate.
Brett has his own jazz quartet as well, the Brett Balon Quartet, which in the summer of 2009, opened for Kurt Elling at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival.

Cody Kurz (upright bass)...may be an old school bass player, but he's a young 24 who brings awesome energy to Jump Me Martha. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan Jazz Program, he attended the Prairielands Jazz Camp for 4 years, and took lessons from and worked with Mike Rud, Steve Haines, Kieran Overs, Gordon Foote and Andre White. He's worked with actress/singer Andrea Menard on CBC radio's Madly off in All Directions; recorded with jazz experimentalist Nathan Renner; worked with the Pinstripe Project and recorded on two U of S jazz band records with Dean McNeill and Mark Dejong. He’s also worked with Campbell Ryga, Brad Turner, Mike Vax and Chase Sanborn, and performed at venues such as the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Labatt Brier Curling championships; closing act for Randy Bachman and many others. He loves to swing, but plays all forms of jazz and Gospel.
Cody has great technique, and though young, understands the role of a solid, inventive bass player in a swinging combo. He's got the hands, mind and heart of a great bass player and is the perfect complement to veteran drummer Don Tatchell. They're a heck of a rhythm section.