While most girls were interested in playing with dolls at the tender age of eight, Sharel
Cassity (pronounced sha-REL) was begging for a saxophone. Thankfully, she
received
an old Conn alto for Christmas the following year, and as the saying goes, “the rest is
history,” because clearly she is developing into one of the most vibrant jazz
saxophonists
to come along in quite sometime.
As a child, Cassity traveled extensively and eventually settled in the
Oklahoma City area for the majority of her adolescent years. It was in that city's
diversity--it's Jazz history, Native American culture (a part of her lineage), nature and
environment--that formed indelible influences on the young musician. Her parents also
inspired the music within, as she recalls her father playing jazz and classical repertoire
on his Hammond B3 organ, piano, or trumpet; and her mother filling the house with the
sounds of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson and other
pop
artists.
Torn between jazz and classical music in high school, her decision was solidified when
a
friend gave her a mix tape of Count Basie's “Freckle Face,” Miles' “E.S.P,” and
Cannonball
Adderley's--At the Lighthouse--and as Cassity states, “I knew I had to play this music.”
After attending the University of Central Oklahoma's Jazz program on full scholarship,
she performed in the small but musically rich Oklahoma jazz scene before relocating to
New York City in 1999.
After living two years in New York, Cassity earned a Scholarship to the New School of
Jazz and Contemporary Music to complete her BA. It was there that she she studied
with
saxophonist Vincent Herring, Steve Wilson and Jimmy Greene as well as receiving
inspiration from fellow classmates and alumni such as brothers Marcus & E.J
Strickland,
and Robert Glasper, who were all in attendance at the New School around the same
time
period.
In 2005 Cassity was awarded a full scholarship to the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies
and completed her MA under the direction of Victor Goines. It was there that she
formed strong relationships with fellow classmates (Michael Dease, Tom Barber, and
Alum Adam Birnbaum) who also appeared on her first solo album, Just for You (DW
Records, 2008).
Dedicated to playing jazz with the highest level of creativity and execution possible,
Cassity articulates her mission statement: “My art is an improvised form of music that
is
steeped in the tradition of blues, swing, bebop and post bop; I am interested in using
that history to help reflect the sound of my generation and the time we are living. I hope
that I can be a positive example and make a lasting contribution to this great art form.”
These contributions continue to materialize in a growing number of rewarding
experiences: the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Jimmy Heath's Big Band, Roy Hargrove Big
Band,
Dizzy Gillespie All Star Sextet and All Star Big Band; small group group work with
Harry
Whitaker, Ingrid Jensen, Mark Whitfield, and Michael Dease; recordings which include
Jason Hainsworth Jazz Orchestra, Kaleidoscope (DW Records), Adam Birnbaum,
Travels
(Smalls, 2008), Fat Cat Big Band, Angels Praying for Freedom (Smalls, 2009) and
Snow
Road, by Tom Barber's Janus Block (DCleff Records, 2009).
Cassity's sophomore release, Relentless (Jazz Legacy Productions), is a testament to
her
abilities as a performer, writer, and leader, featuring rising jazz luminaries--Jeremy Pelt
(trumpet), Michael Dease (trombone), Orrin Evans (piano), Dwayne Burno (bass),
and E.J.
Strickland (drums). It is a shining example of her poise, song-bird lyricism, and
purpose.
