Make Music Clatsop County

RJ Marx

R.J. Marx is a professional saxophonist, educator, and journalist who has become a pillar of the Clatsop County music scene since moving to Seaside in 2015. He leads the R.J. Marx Quartet, which released an acclaimed CD in 2019, and was a featured performer at the 2025 Seaside Jazz Festival,,. He maintains a regular performance schedule at regional venues, including the Lyons Den in Seaside, the Livingstone Room at McMenamins Gearhart Hotel, the Seaside Civic and Convention Center, the Sunday Market and more. Deeply committed to education, Marx teaches a popular “Jazz Fundamentals” course for players and listeners at Clatsop Community College,. He further serves the local community as a historian and writer, having authored Seaside's Rock 'n' Roll Riots 1962-1964 and served as the editor of the Seaside Signal until his retirement in 2023. He currently resides in Seaside, where he continues to write about jazz and perform with his trio, quartet and Chelsea LaFey and the Salt Shakers.