Dustin

Dustin Drews is a soprano, tenor, and alto jazz saxophonist - arranger, composer, and educator. He received his Bachelor’s degree at the University Of Miami Frost School of Music and his Master’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado. He currently resides in Berlin, Germany.

Born in Houston, Texas, Dustin Drews received his early education at the famed High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, whose jazz program was, during his time, under the direction of Robert “Doc” Morgan. Before furthering his studies at the University of Miami, where he received a full scholarship, Drews studied shortly with David Liebman. At the University of Miami, his mentors included Gary Keller, Gary Lindsay, Todd DelGuidice, Ralph Maggio, Ron Miller, and more. He also had the privilege of learning from and performing with David Pope, Michael Rodriguez, Einar Scheving, Phil Strange, Xavier Perez, and Melton Mustafa. During that time, Drews also received Downbeat awards for best soloist as well as best group performance, and an A.S.C.A.P. Honorable Mention for composition.

After living in Miami, Florida for about five years, Drews took a detour into the world of sound engineering. He moved to Arizona where he studied at the Conservatory for Recording Arts and Sciences and received his training in live sound, post- production, and studio audio engineering. Upon completion of the course, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he completed two post-production internships. Also, during that time, Drews functioned as a performer and educator.

After living in Chicago, Illinois, Dustin Drews left for Colorado where he earned his Master’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado. As well as studying under Dr. Andrew Dahlke, Jim White, Dana Landry, Erik Applegate, and David Caffey, Drews taught courses at the university as well as assisted in administrative affairs. He was a member of the Colorado Jazz Orchestra and the Ninth and Lincoln Jazz Orchestra. Both orchestras featured works that included, but were not limited to, arrangements by Thad Jones, Maria Schneider, Bill Holman, Duke Ellingtion, etc. The latter also featured more eclectic works as composed and arranged by some of the great local talent. While in Colorado, Drews shared the stage with Brad Goode, Jim White, James Carter, Bob Mintzer, Dana Landry, Steve Kovalcheck, Pat Bianchi, David Caffey, Erik Applegate, Greg Gisbert, Peter Sommer, Ryan Fourt, Wil Swindler, Tyler Gilmore, Andy Dahlke, and many more. Drews also composed and arranged a saxophone quartet in a loose salsa style, which was performed at the North American Saxophone Alliance. Along with earning another two Downbeat awards, Drews was also accepted to the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program, based on compositional and improvisational skills. There he received mentorship and performed with Carmen Lundy, Curtis Fuller, Nathan Davis, Winard Harper, George Cables, and Chip Jackson to name a few.

Dustin has had the privilege of performing with countless talented individuals and has travelled to at least forty different countries. As an arranger and performer, he has worked for many Broadway-style entertainers as well as arranged music for full Broadway-style productions including dancers and singers. In 2013, Dustin Drews moved to Berlin, Germany. He has been playing and arranging for different bands, with styles ranging from jazz to techno. His debut album Controversy is being released in March of 2018. Show less