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Jamie Saft

Jamie Saft (piano, organs, analog synthesis, bass and guitar, steel guitars) is a native of Queens, New York. Since returning to New York in 1993, Saft's stylistic versatility, multi-instrumentalist capabilities, and production skills have been featured with Bobby Previte, John Zorn, the B-52's, Laurie Anderson, The Beastie Boys, Jerry Granelli, Dave Douglas, Holly Palmer, Marc Ribot's Los Cubanos Postisos, Elysian Fields, Boomish, Black Beatle, Pramrod Sexena, Liminal, Antony and the Johnsons, Chocolate Genius, JoJo Mayer's Nerve, E-Z Pour Spout, Cuong Vu, Chris Speed Trio Iffy, Jane Ira Bloom, and the Groove Collective.

Saft was the pianist for the New York and Paris premiers of John Adams' opera "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and then I Saw the Sky" at Lincoln Center and MC93 Bobingy.

Saft has released two solo records on Tzadik. The most recent is called "Breadcrumb Sins'" and the first is called "Sovlanut" featuring Chris Speed, Jim Black, and Jonathan Maron. Saft also co-led the Saft/Vu release of "Ragged Jack" on Avant with Cuong Vu.

Saft has recently composed a number of original film scores and music for television. Recent films scored include the Oscar nominated film "Murderball" and Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner "God Grew Tired Of Us". Saft has also contributed score music for Nickelodean, MTV, and A&E.

Saft was also a member of Prohibited Beatz, a New York based organization which cultivates Drum 'n' Bass, techno, and electronica with a strong emphasis on live performance and realtime audio deconstruction. Saft was an original member of Nerve, a live d'n'b unit and has also performed with Boomish (a like minded live electronica group).

Saft also moonlights as a producer and studio engineer at his studio Frank Booth.

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6
Album Review

Jeff Lederer: Balls of Simplicity

Read "Balls of Simplicity" reviewed by Mark Corroto


To describe Jeff Lederer's latest offering, borrow a catchphrase from Monty Python's Flying Circus, “and now for something completely different." The saxophonist, clarinetist and composer might be best known for reimagining the music of Albert Ayler in both the traditions of the Shaker Christian sect or in a sea shanties format, his irreverent reimagining of Dixieland music with Swing N' Dix, and his horns in drummer Matt Wilson's ensembles. Lederer's Balls of Simplicity moves into the world of chamber music, ...

3
Album Review

Jeff Lederer: Eightfold Path

Read "Eightfold Path" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


The “spiritual jazz" tradition has been undergoing something of a revival and it gets a real boost with this robust new offering from tenor saxophonist Jeff Lederer. This is a revival of the Sunwatcher Quartet, a group Lederer formed in 2011 to celebrate the music of Albert Ayler. This version of the band retains original members Jamie Saft on keyboards and Matt Wilson on drums but adds the distinctive electric bass sound of Steve Swallow. Lederer wrote all ...

4
Album Review

Jeff Lederer's Sunwatcher: Eightfold Path

Read "Eightfold Path" reviewed by Mark Corroto


Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all on the Dharma path. It doesn't matter if you are a Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jain, or Satanist. Okay, maybe not Satanist, but we are all in our own way desiring some form of enlightened awakening and the end of suffering. During the height of the pandemic, saxophonist Jeff Lederer assembled his Sunwatcher quartet to explore this noble Eightfold Path. As students of the path are told, you must walk hand in hand with ...

6
Album Review

Jerry Granelli: The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays The Music Of Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison

Read "The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays The Music Of Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


Drummer Jerry Granelli, bassist Brad Jones and pianist Jamie Saft team in a trio that Plays Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison to honor two of the most influentially lyrical and bluesy composer-musicians in jazz history. Granelli possesses deep personal insight into both principals. He landed in the drum chair in Vince Guaraldi's trio just as the title track to the pianist's 1962 landmark Cast Your Fate to the Wind was breaking out in the US singles charts and ...

16
Album Review

Jerry Granelli: The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays The Music Of Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison

Read "The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays The Music Of Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


Eminent drummer Jerry Granelli leads this covers session where the musicians spin diverse interpretations of largely immortal compositions from yesteryear via telepathic output and a modus operandi framed on an outpouring of fellowship and merriment. As their personalized takes on the late, influential pianists/composers Mose Allison and Vince Guaraldi are executed with assurance and acutely placed detours amid a democratic group-based manifesto. Hence, these positive attributes come as no surprise since the drummer performed extensively with both artists.

1
Album Review

Jerry Granelli Trio: Plays Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison

Read "Plays Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Prossimo a celebrare gli ottant'anni (li compirà il 30 dicembre prossimo), il batterista Jerry Granelli riprende in mano il materiale di due autori che hanno avuto grande importanza per la sua formazione: il pianista Vince Guaraldi, con il quale collaborò per tre intensi anni all'inizio della sua carriera, e il pianista-cantante Mose Allison, nel cui trio entrò subito dopo, per poi tornare a lavoravi a intervalli numerose volte nel corso dei successivi quarant'anni. E lo fa assieme a due artisti ...

6
Album Review

Bobby Previte, Jamie Saft and Nels Cline: Music from the Early 21st Century

Read "Music from the Early 21st Century" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


Music from the Early 21st Century presents music captured during a brief trio tour by keyboardist Jamie Saft, guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Bobby Previte, performing completely improvised music. “Fundamentally, it's based around the classic organ trio formation--drums, Hammond organ and guitar," Saft explains. “But it just blows up the language to so many different universes." “Captured during a brief trio tour" doesn't do justice to this wild, ravenous sound. Trapped and caged like a snarling animal seems ...

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19

Performance / Tour

Jazz At Atlas Presents New Standard Trio To Kick Off 2018 Concerts On March 24

Jazz At Atlas Presents New Standard Trio To Kick Off 2018 Concerts On March 24

Source: James Keepnews

“Over a career now spanning nearly thirty years, Jamie Saft has established himself as one of the visionaries of contemporary American music. As a composer, pianist and keyboard innovator, and collaborator of music icons such as Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, the B-52s, Donovan, John Adams and John Zorn, he has been fearless in his pursuit of spiritual elevation through music that both seeks to embrace the whole American canon, and also transcend it, by seamlessly assimilating genres, traditions, idioms and ...

1

Recording

Guitarist Joe Morris Joins Forces With Keyboardist Jamie Saft & Drummer Mike Pride On Microtonal Blues Project Raoul

Guitarist Joe Morris Joins Forces With Keyboardist Jamie Saft & Drummer Mike Pride On Microtonal Blues Project Raoul

Source: hubtone PR

The sound of Joe Morris’ electric guitar, with distortion pedal set on stun and wah-wah pedal fully engaged, colliding with Jamie Saft’s droning, microtonal organ and Mike Pride’s thunderous free drumming approach to the kit creates a mind-numbing maelstrom on The Spanish Donkey's RAOUL, the improvising trio’s debut on RareNoiseRecords. A follow-up to XYX, their 2011 album, which was released on Northern Spy Records. The album consists of three throbbing tracks — the brutal 32-minute title track ‘Raoul, the 22-minute ...

1

Recording

Avant-Garde Icon Wadada Leo Smith Joins Forces With Jamie Saft, Joe Morris, Balazs Pandi On Startling RareNoise Release Red Hill

Avant-Garde Icon Wadada Leo Smith Joins Forces With Jamie Saft, Joe Morris, Balazs Pandi On Startling RareNoise Release Red Hill

Source: hubtone PR

There’s a sense of mystery, majesty and daring surrounding this remarkably deep studio session, the first of its kind for the adventurous renegade label RareNoiseRecords. Each piece resounds with such compelling, conversational, in-the-moment playing that it sets a new standard in collective improvisation. “I believe it raises the bar for what improvised music can achieve on record,” says pianist Jamie Saft of Red Hill, the group’s mesmerizing debut on the RareNoise label.Fueled by the urgent high note blasts and expressive ...

7

Contest

Enter the "Jamie Saft/Steve Swallow/Bobby Previte - The New Standard" Giveaway!

Enter the "Jamie Saft/Steve Swallow/Bobby Previte - The New Standard" Giveaway!

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the RareNoiseRecords “Jamie Saft/Steve Swallow/Bobby Previte - The New Standard“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on August 10th Click here to enter the contest (Tracking Jamie Saft at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.) Good luck! Your Friends at RareNoiseRecords About The New Standard While Jamie Saft has been a significant presence on previous RareNoise recordings by Slobber Pup, Plymouth ...

1

Recording

Jamie Saft Joins Steve Swallow And Bobby Previte On The New Standard

Jamie Saft Joins Steve Swallow And Bobby Previte On The New Standard

Source: Antje Hübner

Collaborative Outing Strikes The Jazziest Chord In The RareNoise Catalog While Jamie Saft has been a significant presence on previous RareNoise recordings by Slobber Pup, Plymouth and Metallic Taste of Blood, the renegade keyboardist and essential Downtown improviser steps into a dramatically different role on The New Standard. A collaborative trio outing featuring the dream rhythm tandem of drummer Bobby Previte and bassist Steve Swallow, both prolific composers and venerable bandleaders in their own right, it showcases Saft alternating between ...

Recording

Jamie Saft And Joe Morris Join Forces Once Again For Sonic Mayhem On RareNoise Release Plymouth

Jamie Saft And Joe Morris Join Forces Once Again For Sonic Mayhem On RareNoise Release Plymouth

Source: Antje Hübner

Following on the heels of their successful collaboration on 2013‘s Slobber Pup, one of the most intensely throbbing releases in the RareNoise catalog, keyboardist Jamie Saft and guitarist Joe Morris have reunited for another potent and provocative offering in Plymouth. Joining them on the three expansive pieces that comprise this purely improvised set are the indelible rhythm tandem of bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Gerald Cleaver, who have played together in various settings (including Morris’ quartet) since the late ‘90s, ...

130

Radio

The Jazz Session #301: Jamie Saft

The Jazz Session #301: Jamie Saft

Source: AAJ Staff


170

Interview

Jamie Saft & Roots Manuva Interviews

Jamie Saft & Roots Manuva Interviews

Source: All About Jazz


275

Interview

Jamie Saft Interview at AAJ

Jamie Saft Interview at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

Keyboardist Jamie Saft has long been a fixture on the Downtown Music Scene in New York City, mainly for with his work for John Zorn's Tzadik label, although his work on Jane Ira Bloom's latest ArtistShare disc, Like Silver, Like Song is equally noteworthy.

In July, 2005, Saft released the first in a new series of albums featuring material from Zorn's second Masada songbook. Astaroth, Book of Angels Volume 1: Jamie Saft Trio plays Masada Book Two proves that it's ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Balls of Simplicity

Little (i) Music
2024

buy

Nine Tributes

Self Produced
2022

buy

Eightfold Path

Little (i) Music
2021

buy

Music from the Early...

RareNoiseRecords
2020

buy

Plays Vince Guaraldi...

RareNoiseRecords
2020

buy

Hidden Corners

RareNoiseRecords
2019

buy

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