Home » Jazz Musicians » David Binney

David Binney

Acclaimed as a considerable and highly individual compositional talent, saxophonist David Binney is one of the most prolific jazz musicians on the scene today. Winning praise from critics and colleagues alike, David was recently singled out by Jazz Times as one of a handful of "players who have created an alternative jazz-scene... all of whom are playing adventurous, original music."

David has recorded 20+ albums as leader or co-leader and recorded on more than 300 other albums.

David was born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Southern California. At the age of 19 moved to New York City and lived there for many years. He now resides in Los Angeles. And Produces records and performs worldwide. He also mixes and masters records.

Creator/Producer of the band that was David Bowie's Blackstar.

Known for his performances and recordings with such prestigious groups as Knower (Louis Cole, Genevieve Artadi), Chrissie Hynde, Gil Evans, Maria Schneider, Jim Hall, Uri Caine, Vinicius Cantuaria, Carlinhos Brown, Norah Jones, Antonio Sanchez, Wayne Krantz, Chris Potter, Nguyen Le, Miles Okazaki, Joe Locke, Edward Simon, Dan Weiss, Alex Sipiagin, Joel Harrison, Bobby Previte, Cecil McBee and countless others. David was also a co-founder of the hard-edged quintet "Lost Tribe" and the open-form collective quartet "Lan Xang."

David’s distinctive saxophone sound and innovative compositions have been heard from basement clubs in New York to jazz festivals in Europe and the world. David has also appeared with Aretha Franklin at Carnegie Hall, and with Jamiroquai, Maceo Parker, to name a few. He has produced all of his own 30 albums, and many others including two of the Lost Tribe releases, 7 Donny McCaslin releases and a Scott Colley “The Architect of the Silent Moment.”. David started his record label, Mythology Records, in 1998. David also created the group the Donny McCaslin group that eventually became the group on David Bowie’s #1 record Blackstar.

He has won the Downbeat Critics Poll 3 different times in the Alto Saxophone category. And placed in Producer, Album, et al.. Has had front cover features in Downbeat and Jazz Times, featured in the NY Times Art section, and many other publications.

The albums that David owns are available on this site. All of his other albums, in addition to the ones on this site, are readily accessible on most streaming platforms. And most are available physical CDs/LP's.

Teaching: David has been teaching worldwide for many years. Besides teaching privately in person and via Zoom, Skype etc..

David Binney Action Trio At Joe Henderson Lab

by Steven Roby
August 12, 2025

David Binney Action Trio Joe Henderson Lab San Francisco, CA August 9, 2025 With its two glass walls--one facing busy Franklin Street--the Joe Henderson Lab at the SFJAZZ Center feels like an open studio. At 7 p.m., the sold-out David Binney Action Trio made the most of that intimacy: all 100 seats were filled with fans of electro-acoustic jazz blended with funk and rock, some holding LPs and CDs for signatures while passersby looked in. ...

Radio & Podcasts

Joel Grundahl, Jack Gardiner, Andy Timmons, David Binney, Donny McCaslin

by Len Davis
August 3, 2025

Turn it up and dive into fresh fusion sounds! Enjoy new music from Canadian guitarist Joel Grundahl, British shredder Jack Gardiner and Andy Timmons, and synth-driven grooves from Richard D Ruttenberg and bassist Jimmy Haslip. Explore bold and original jazz from saxophonist and composer David Binney with Tommy Crane, power house performances by Donny McCaslin, Tim Lefebvre and Nate Wood, plus new tracks from Garaj Mahal with their latest release Rotifer . Our '90s fusion fix continues with Petite Blonde ...

Album Review

John Ambrosini: Songs for You

Read "Songs for You" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci

by Richard J Salvucci
October 5, 2024

John Ambrosini is a New York City-based pianist, composer and arranger. He has a number of recordings to his credit and this one, strictly speaking, is a bit of a departure. Ambrosini's band is populated by a number of well-known jazz professionals in and around the city. So the music swings and the solos--including piano--are all worth hearing. It may be that Ambrosini is a stronger player than singer, something not unusual among instrumentalists who sing. ...

Catching Up With

My Conversation with David Binney

by Glenn Astarita
August 14, 2024

This article first appeared on All About Jazz in September 1999. New York City-based saxophonist and composer David Binney has been getting lots of well-deserved attention over the last several years. Three excellent CDs with the unique and hard driving band Lost Tribe, stints with Medeski Martin & Wood, Drew Gress' Jagged Sky, Aretha Franklin, The Gil Evans Orchestra, and Edward Simon to name but a few, place Binney among the top jazz performers/musicians of today. The recent ...

Radio & Podcasts

Marc Johnson, Pat Metheny Group, David Binney and Gabor Szabo

by Len Davis
July 5, 2024

On a jazzy side today with music from the '70s to the 2000s. Marc Johnson, Pat Metheny Group, Steve Khan and David Binney. Don Grolnick, Esbjorn Svensson, Gabor Szabo and Neil Larsen.Playlist Marc Johnson “Faith In You" from The Sound Of Summer Running (Verve) 00:00 Pat Metheny Group “Jaco" from Pat Metheny Group (ECM) 06:18 Steve Khan “Carribbean Fire Dance" from Headline (Polydor)12:02/li> David Binney “Point Game" from Point Game (OWL) 19:16 Don Grolnick “Pools" from Hearts & ...

Radio & Podcasts

New Music From Hiromi, Usein Bekirov, Mohini Dey And David Binney

by Len Davis
September 17, 2023

The latest release from Hiromi Sonic Wonderland, from Ukraine Drummer Usein Bekirov with Randy Brecker and Hadrien Feraud Sato, bassist from Spain Vincen Garcia Why Not his new single and Mohini Dey with more from her latest. Drummer Nicolas Viccario from Metropolitan Souk with pianist Ruslan Sirota and bassist Hadrien Feraud. Polish guitarist Apotolis Anthimos Come Together, Austrian pianist David Helbock from Austrian Syndicate, Jaak Sooaar guitarist from Estonia withZula and David Binney from Action . Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad ...

Radio & Podcasts

Randy Bernsen, Jaco Pastorius, Bob Berg and Larry Coryell

by Len Davis
August 18, 2023

From the '70s to 2005. Drummer Horace Arnold, Randy Bernsen, with Jaco Pastorius, Jeff Miley from Altered and David Binney from his album Point Game. The late Bob Berg from In The Shadows with Mike Stern, Tom Coster with Dennis Chambers and the late Larry Coryell with Spaces Revisited from 1997. Plus French Canadian bassist Alain Caron with Jerry De Villiers jnr. Playlist Horace Arnold “Chinnereth" from Tales Of The Exonerated Flea (Columbia) 00:00 Randy Bernsen “Olde Hats" ...

Birthday