Lynn Baker is an active performer and clinician, performing with his own Lynn Baker Quartet, the free-improvisation trio Rhythmic_Void, performing with and directing the Rocky Mountain Jazz Repertoire Orchestra, and programming the jazz series at the Cherokee Ranch and Castle Performing Arts Series. His clinician appearances at colleges, universities, high schools, and festivals have taken him across the North American continent and to Asia. He is a Origin Records recording artist with his debut release Azure Intention on that label scheduled for September 21, 2010.
Lynn Baker is currently the Director of the Jazz Studies and Commercial Music Program at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver, where he directs the Lamont Jazz Orchestra, coaches combos, and teaches Jazz Improvisation and Composition class, Jazz History classes, and Jazz Techniques classes. Lynn holds degrees from the University of Oregon and Western Oregon University and has also studied at Mt Hood Community College with Larry McVeigh and at Indiana University with David Baker, Dominic Spera and Eugene Robinson. Before coming to Denver in 1993 Lynn taught at Indiana University and before that Carleton College, and universities in Oregon.
Lynn is an award-winning composer, performer, and educator winning the 1987 Westside Composer Award (Minneapolis, MN), the 1995 COVisions Award for Jazz Composition, the 1980 Ruth Loraine Close award in performance from the University of Oregon, and the 2005 Downbeat Magazine award for Outstanding Achievement in Jazz Education – College Level and students and ensembles from Lamont are frequent Downbeat Student Music Award winners.