Jazz Articles

Elias Haslanger: Live at the Gallery

by Chris M. Slawecki
August 8, 2014

Live at the Gallery boasts rollicking, soulful performances of a first-class set list recorded live and hot onstage at a packed jazz club in Austin (Texas) led by Texas native, Austin resident and tenor saxophonist Elias Haslanger and featuring soloists Dr. James Polk (another native Texan and former organist, pianist, writer, arranger and conductor for Ray Charles) on Hammond B-3 organ and Jake Langley on guitar. Haslanger, who studied at the Manhattan School of Music, the University of ...

Elias Haslanger: Dream Story

by Woodrow Wilkins
August 5, 2007

Elias Haslanger counts among his inspirations such classical composers as Claude Debussy, Hector Berlioz and Richard Strauss, as well as a plethora of jazz artists including Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis. Several rock artists are also among his influences.

The Austin, Texas-born saxophonist has toured the United States and Europe, playing with or opening for some contemporary heavyweights in jazz and other styles. Among them are Maynard Ferguson, Ellis Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Clark Terry, ...

Elias Haslanger: Dream Story

by Glenn Astarita
June 20, 2006

Austin, Texas-based saxophonist Elias Haslanger's 1998 outing Kicks are for Kids was a favorite among critics. With this long-awaited followup, the artist once again shows that he is a force to be reckoned with. Sporting a strong compositional pen and a brawny, yet fluid tenor sax sound, Haslangler leads his sextet through a sequence of vibrant works awash with tuneful content. He's an acute improviser who embellishes the finer points of John Coltrane and other luminaries with gobs of nicely ...