Rolf Olsen Jazz Quartet

Join the Library for a live performance featuring Jazz favorites and standards by the Rolf Olsen Jazz Quartet! The Rolf Olsen Quartet plays a wide range of jazz and Latin music. Their repertoire includes everything from well known standards to more obscure jazz compositions as well as modern jazz styles, swing music, the bebop music of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and the post-bop music of John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

Use our chairs, or bring your favorite blanket or chair, and enjoy an afternoon of musical entertainment. 

The group lives in the San Diego area and consists of leader Rolf Olsen on tenor saxophone, clarinet and soprano saxophone; Sky Ladd on keyboard; Grant Clarkson on upright bass; and Chris Becker on drums. The foursome brings substantial energy and creativity to their music, which keeps their audiences involved and connected with their performance. They have performed at a variety of San Diego music venues and look forward to continuing to build their following in the Southern California music jazz scene.

Rolf Olsen - Saxophone

Rolf Olsen grew up in Northern California and began taking clarinet lessons in 4th grade. He gained an interest in jazz from his father and attending the Sacramento traditional jazz festival. This caused him to become a member of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society youth band TNT and attend their summer jazz camps. Rolf continued to be very active in music during high school, playing in concert band, marching band and began to play tenor saxophone in his high school jazz ensemble. He continued pursuing a music profession as a jazz studies major at DePaul University in Chicago before deciding to change career paths and pursue engineering. While studying EECS and the University of California Berkeley Rolf continued playing and performing music in UC Jazz combos led by Ted Moore and Frank Martin. After receiving his undergraduate degree, Rolf moved to San Diego to begin his career. In addition, he currently participates in a number of musical groups and leads his own jazz quartet.

Sky Ladd - Piano

Sky grew up in northern California and has traveled all over the world as a pianist, including Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, and the Middle East. He has a BA in classical piano performance from Humboldt State. Sky formerly worked as a Music Director for Holland America Cruise Lines.

Grant Clarkson - Upright Bass

Grant Clarkson grew up in Los Angeles and began playing bass at ten years old and later earned his Bachelors and Masters at San Diego State University. Ever since Grant has continuously performed with many of the most well-known musicians in the San Diego region specializing in jazz, classical, musical theatre, and mainstream pop & soul. Grant also works with several theater companies, jazz ensembles, various churches and choral groups, as well as composing prolifically, appearing on other artists’ recordings, and teaching.

Chris Becker - Drumset

Born and raised in San Diego, Chris Becker started playing drums as a toddler and began formal lessons with Bill Ray shortly thereafter. Chris has been fortunate and grateful to play with some of San Diego’s finest musicians over the years and enjoys playing different genres including big band, jazz combo, orchestral, musical theater and classic rock/pop. As a full-time land surveyor by day and full-time dad by night, Chris still takes every opportunity he can to feed his drumming habit.