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Mark Jackovic – Saxophone
Mark Strickland – Guitar
Tony Martucci – Drums
Denzel Chismar-Oliver – Bass

The Jazz Influence uses the esoteric nature of music as a platform for self-reflection and discovery. The combination of the musical languages of jazz, improvisation, and today’s popular genres create a reflective listening environment for the audience. As the Jazz Influence explores topics such as love, value, and groove, our instrumental music invites the audience to do the same: Think, Enjoy, and Discover.

Saxophonist and educator Mark Jackovic formed the Jazz Influence in 2019. By performing in small and off-the-beaten-path venues, the band began to formulate their essence. Jackovic works full-time as the Jazz Education and Archives Manager at Manchester Craftsman's Guild (MCG). MCG Jazz has embedded a new jazz curriculum in several counties within West Virginia with the help of Jackovic. Jackovic is a published archivist providing materials for the PBS documentary “We Knew We Had: The Greatest Jazz Story Never Told,” a film about the history of Pittsburgh and the jazz musicians who helped the music thrive. During the pandemic, Jackovic created a suite of archival videos utilizing the MCG Jazz Oral History Collection in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. Mark Jackovic is endorsed by the mouthpiece company Theo Wanne.