Seattle's Eckstein Middle School cleaned up at the Reno Jazz Festival competition Saturday at the University of Nevada.

The school snagged two division wins and four soloist awards. The ensemble is directed by Moc Escobedo.

The Garfield High School combo, directed by Clarence Acox, won first place in the AAA division. Garfield's Jazz Band I took second place in the AAA division and its Jazz Band II won first in the Apprentice I division.

Garfield's Taizo Curry was recognized as an outstanding performer on bass trombone and trumpeter and pianist Julian Garvue was recognized an outstanding performer, as well.

Eckstein's choir and combo took first place in the middle school division. Also from Eckstein, tenor saxophonist Santos Sharma took the award for outstanding tenor saxophonist; Augusta Drumheller was the outstanding middle school vocalist; the outstanding middle school saxophone award went to Jesse Becket-Herbett; and Porter Jones took the top slot for middle school trombone.

The Eckstein jazz band ranked second place in the middle school jazz band division. Garfield's jazz band took second place in the AAA division and Roosevelt High School's Jazz Band III won second place in the Apprentice II division.

In the college division, the Bellevue College Vocal Ensemble "Celebration" took first place and six solo awards went to Bellevue students: Antonio Fernandez, Jhauvon Harrison, Kena McClure, Billy Buhl, Justin Rodjanapanyakul and Kati Couch. Rodjanapanyakul was named Outstanding College Vocalist.

The legacy and influence of Seattle's nationally-renowned school jazz band programs was manifest at the festival. Garfield high school alum Tatum Greenblatt played trumpet in one of the festival's featured professional ensembles, The Mingus Big Band. The middle school jazz band competition winner, from Lindero Canyon, Calif., is directed by Matt McKagan, brother of former Guns N'Roses bassist Duff McKagan, both graduates of Roosevelt High School.

Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com