Formed in 2020, Säje is a Grammy-nominated jazz vocal supergroup founded in Palm Springs, California by Sara Gazarek, Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick, and Erin Bentlage. The singers – who were pursing solo careers in Los Angeles, California, and Seattle Washington – came together to record the “Desert Song” and decided to continue working together. Their repertoire contains original material mixed with original interpretations of modern The recording itself - which was conceived while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic - was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Instrumentals and Vocals. Säje made their live debut in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2021, and then won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2022 for their song “Wisteria.” Their self-titled debut album was released in 2023 and included musical collaborations with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, Gerald Clayton, drummer Terry Lynn Carrington, saxophonist Daniel Rotem, keyboardist Jacob Collier, vocalist Michael Mayo, and others. The album, which rose to number 3 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart, included the singles “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” “(You Are) The Oracle,” “As This Moment Slips Away,” “Wisteria,” and “Desert Song.”
