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Joe Lovano

Grammy-winning saxophonist, composer and producer Joe Lovano is fearless in finding new modes of artistic expression. With a Grammy Win for his 52nd Street Themes and 14 other nominations, he has won Down Beat Magazine’s Critics and Readers Polls countless times as Tenor Saxophonist, Musician of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Triple Crowns from Downbeat. He has also gotten numerous awards from Jazz Times and the Jazz Journalists Association for Tenor Saxophone, Album of the Year and Musician of the Year.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 29, 1952 he attended the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston where years later he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. Since 2001 he has held the Gary Burton Chair in Jazz Performance and is a founding faculty member since 2009 of the Global Jazz Institute at Berklee directed by Danilo Perez. He is a guest lecturer at New York University’s Jazz Program, Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music as well as Clinician at Universities around the globe.

He has toured with jazz greats such as Woody Herman Thundering Herd, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jack McDuff, Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Paul Motian Trio, Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, Carla Bley Band, Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, Saxophone Summit and has created a body of work for his own large ensembles including strings, woodwinds, voice as well as his Horn-rich Nonet and more recently his UsFive group with double drummers which has been gathering kudos world-wide!

Since 1991 Lovano has been recording as a leader for Blue Note Records. “Joe Lovano Quartet: Classic! Live at Newport” featuring Hank Jones was recorded in 2005 and released in 2016 marking his 25th recording for the label.

Joe has also performed and recorded with a long list of jazz greats including Woody Herman, Mel Lewis, Bob Brookmeyer, Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Tony Bennett, Abbey Lincoln, Charlie Haden, John Scofield, Gunther Schuller, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Ed Blackwell, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Hank Jones, Dave Liebman, Michael Brecker, Dave Douglas, Judi Silvano, Ravi Coltrane, Chucho Valdez, Ornette Coleman and many others.

In addition, composer Mark Anthony Turnage wrote a Concerto for Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra for Joe called “A Man Descending” which has been performed globally and Maestro Michael Abene orchestrated an album of all-Lovano originals called “Symphonica” for the WDR Symphonic Orchestra and Big Band, which was released on Blue Note and received a Grammy nomination.

Joe Lovano continues to explore new horizons within the world of music as a soloist, band leader and composer.

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Live Review

Bergamo Jazz Festival 2024

Read "Bergamo Jazz Festival 2024" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero


Bergamo Jazz Festival Bergamo Varie sedi 21-24.3.2024 La quarantacinquesima edizione di Bergamo Jazz coincide con il passaggio di testimone nella direzione artistica da Maria Pia De Vito allo statunitense Joe Lovano, più volte ospite come musicista della rassegna orobica. La formula è quella consolidata da anni: tre serate con doppio concerto al Teatro Donizetti, l'utilizzo di una serie di location dislocate tra città alta e città bassa, che recuperano luoghi storici e suggestivi, e la ...

Interview

Joe Lovano: da New York a Bergamo

Read "Joe Lovano: da New York a Bergamo" reviewed by Libero Farnè


Joe Lovano è di casa in Italia. Non so quanto in questo possa influire l'origine siciliana della sua famiglia; penso che la ragione sia da ricercare piuttosto, oltre che nell'estroversa giovialità del carattere, nella sua vocazione di globetrotter che lo ha portato in ogni angolo del mondo con le più svariate formazioni, sue o di altri leader. In una delle sue prime apparizioni italiane, nel novembre 1990, partecipò a Jazz'n Fall di Pescara come membro del quartetto di ...

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Live Review

Umbria Jazz Winter 30

Read "Umbria Jazz Winter 30" reviewed by Libero Farnè


Umbria Jazz Winter 2023 Orvieto Varie sedi 28.12.2023--1.11.2024 Umbria Jazz Winter, tutto concentrato nel centro storico di Orvieto, è un festival a misura d'uomo. Prestigiose le sue sedi, tutte raggiungibili a piedi in trasferimenti di pochi minuti: il Teatro Mancinelli, prezioso teatro all'italiana della seconda metà dell'Ottocento, il maestoso Palazzo del Popolo, che sotto le sue volte medievali in tufo accoglie il pubblico nella Sala Quattrocento e, al piano terra, nella Sala Expo, dedicata ad ...

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Album Review

Ivo Perelman: Reed Rapture in Brooklyn

Read "Reed Rapture in Brooklyn" reviewed by Jeff Schwartz


Is this album fundamentally unreviewable? Are there jazz fans who do not immediately know if they need an 11-hour collection of 103 improvised duets between Ivo Perelman and a dozen saxophonists and clarinetists? It is at least describable. Perelman is faithful to his tenor, while his partners bring examples of nearly every type of saxophone, from soprillo to contrabass, as well as most of the clarinet family. Although all tracks are free improvisations, the default mode is ...

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Album Review

Joe Lovano Trio Tapestry: Our Daily Bread

Read "Our Daily Bread" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


Rising from a serene inner place, the music takes shape like prayer. That it is prayer that lies at the beating heart of all eight spacious spirituals that comprise Our Daily Bread, should come as no surprise. Bearing the expressive quietism of his ancestors--John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, and Ornette Coleman among them--saxophonist Joe Lovano has never hid his leaning towards higher powers. Imagine Trio Tapestry's third deep listening, deeply rewarding ECM release as a house of worship at ...

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Interview

Joe Lovano: Cleveland's Ultimate Jazz Titan

Read "Joe Lovano: Cleveland's Ultimate Jazz Titan" reviewed by Matthew Alec


Friday, June 24th, 2022, saxophonist Joe Lovano's group Sound Prints (alongside trumpeter and co-leader Dave Douglas) delivered a tour de force performance to spellbound audience members at the historic Mimi Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square as a part of Cleveland's annual Tri-C JazzFest. Seasoned group interplay between drummer Rudy Royston, bassist Matt Penman, and pianist Leo Genovese characterized the quintet's languid execution of modern bop-fueled repertoire and served as the perfect complement to the colorfully virtuosic musical conversations between Lovano ...

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Album Review

Ivo Perelman: Reed Rapture in Brooklyn

Read "Reed Rapture in Brooklyn" reviewed by Mark Corroto


"Let's play two," the famous line by the Cubs Hall-of-Fame baseball player Ernie Banks in 1969, uttered when the temperature in Chicago had reached 105 degrees (40.5 celsius) and his teammates were exhausted, might find its analogy with this massive undertaking from saxophonist Ivo Perelman. At eleven hours in length though, the two games Banks cited are not single games, but more like two double-headers here. Like the baseball infielder, Perelman has limitless energy and a never-ending appetite for creativity, ...

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Event

Destination JAZZ to present Grammy Award winner Joe Lovano Quartet and 'Rising Stars' quintet with Patrick Bartley & Georgia Heers – April 27 & 28, 2024

Destination JAZZ to present Grammy Award winner Joe Lovano Quartet and 'Rising Stars' quintet with Patrick Bartley & Georgia Heers – April 27 & 28, 2024

Source: Michael Ricci

Destination JAZZ will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28 at Waynesboro Area Senior High School auditorium, 550 E. 2nd St., Waynesboro, PA. Presented by the Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro/Destination ARTS!, this new event will feature world renowned jazz musicians including Joe Lovano, Patrick Bartley, Georgia Heers, and Alex Claffy as well as local student jazz bands from Waynesboro and Chambersburg. GET TICKETS Headlining this inaugural festival on Saturday, April 27, at 7 pm is Grammy Award ...

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Recording

Enrico Rava and Joe Lovano Release Roma on ECM Records. Out Now!

Enrico Rava and Joe Lovano Release Roma on ECM Records. Out Now!

Source: ECM Records

Enrico Rava, the doyen of Italian jazz, joined forces with Joe Lovano, masterful US tenorist of Sicilian heritage, for a brief tour in November 2018. On this album, recorded live at Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica, the two masters lead a spirited quintet that includes lyrical pianist Giovanni Guidi, dynamic drummer Gerald Cleaver and virtuosic bassist Dezron Douglas (making his ECM debut here). Well-loved tunes by the two bandleaders form the core of the program, including Enrico’s intricate “Interiors” and ...

Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: John Scofield & Joe Lovano, Julian Vaughn, Eddie Gomez Trio, and more

Jazz this week: John Scofield & Joe Lovano, Julian Vaughn, Eddie Gomez Trio, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the reunion tour of two major jazz stars; a rare visit from a famed bassist; a couple of tributes to Duke Ellington; and plenty of other sounds ranging from vintage to experimental. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, April 25 Guitarist John Scofield and saxophonist Joe Lovano bring their quartet to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of four nights, continuing through Saturday. Though their musical ...

Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on the John Scofield Joe Lovano Quartet

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on the John Scofield Joe Lovano Quartet

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

Today, StLJN's video spotlight shines on the John Scofield Joe Lovano Quartet, who will be in St. Louis to perform starting next Wednesday, April 25 through Saturday, April 28 at Jazz at the Bistro. In terms of both popularity and musical accomplishments, both Scofield and Lovano rank in the upper echelon of current jazz players on their respective instruments, and their musical relationship dates back to the early 1990s, when they put together the first version of the quartet. However, ...

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Performance / Tour

Heritage/Evolution: PRISM Quartet With Joe Lovano in Philadelphia (June 3) and New York City (June 4)

Heritage/Evolution: PRISM Quartet With Joe Lovano in Philadelphia (June 3) and New York City (June 4)

Source: Matthew Levy

Joe Lovano: “My new work, 'Super Sonix,' is inspired by and dedicated to the genius and Third Stream pioneer Gunther Schuller, as well as modern jazz master Ornette Coleman, both of whom I’ve been associated with. I also drew from my personal experiences playing within some great saxophone sections: The Woody Herman Band, Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Carla Bley Band, and The Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra. ‘Super Sonix’ is a piece which explores the natural beauty found in the ...

Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Chucho Valdés & Joe Lovano, Jen Shyu, "Jazz Explosion," and more

Jazz this week: Chucho Valdés & Joe Lovano, Jen Shyu, "Jazz Explosion," and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

Here's what's happening with live jazz and creative music over the next few days in St. Louis... Thursday, November 10 Composer and multi-instrumentalist Jen Shyu will present a free, public artist's talk and workshop at the Lewis Center, the Washington University School of Art building located off-campus at 721 Kingsland Ave in U City. Also on Thursday, Native American flautist Mark Holland and his band will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; singer ...

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Performance / Tour

National Jazz Museum In Harlem Benefit Concert on June 10 with Dianne Reeves & Joe Lovano - Reserve Now!

National Jazz Museum In Harlem Benefit Concert on June 10 with Dianne Reeves & Joe Lovano - Reserve Now!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

National Jazz Museum in Harlem Benefit Concert - June 10 - 7:30PM The Kaye Playhouse - Hunter College One Week Away! Make Reservations Now! Featuring Dianne Reeves and the Joe Lovano Classic Quartet! Honoring Reggie Workman & Albert Maysles (In Memoriam) and the Maysles Institute $35 & $55 ($20 - Seniors & Students) 2015 GALA BENEFIT CONCERT Featuring: DIANNE REEVES Acclaimed Jazz Vocalist & Grammy Award Winner Featuring Peter Martin, Reginald Veal ...

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Book / Magazine

Bebop, Swing, and Bella Musica: Jazz and the Italian American Experience

Bebop, Swing, and Bella Musica: Jazz and the Italian American Experience

Source: Michael Ricci

A book by Bill Dal Cerro and David Anthony Witter. Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Louie Bellson, Lennie Tristano, Tony Bennett, Buddy DeFranco, Flip Phillips, and Joe Lovano: These are just some of the hundreds of musicians of Italian descent whose talents have enriched jazz. Bebop, Swing, and Bella Musica is more than just a book about jazz. From the lynching of Italian immigrants in jny: New Orleans in 1891 through the headliners and award winning performers of today, this book ...

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Recording

Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, And Ravi Coltrane Release Fan-Funded “Visitation” CD Through ArtistShare

Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, And Ravi Coltrane Release Fan-Funded “Visitation” CD Through ArtistShare

Source: Brian Camelio

ARTISTSHARE RELEASES SAX SUMMIT’S FAN-FUNDED VISITATION CD – FEATURING JAZZ SAXOPHONE GIANTS JOE LOVANO, DAVE LIEBMAN, AND RAVI COLTRANE. SAXOPHONE SUMMIT RETURNS FOR THEIR THIRD RECORDING AS LIEBMAN, LOVANO, AND COLTRANE EXPLORE NEW CONCEPTUAL REALMS IN THEIR LATEST FAN-FUNDED ALBUM, VISITATION Saxophone Summit features saxophonists Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, and Ravi Coltrane, along with pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Billy Hart. Individually, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, and Ravi Coltrane are widely recognized as contemporary titans of jazz ...

Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Joe Lovano and Us Five, Cornet Chop Suey, Jeff Anderson and Chad Evans, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, and More

Jazz This Week: Joe Lovano and Us Five, Cornet Chop Suey, Jeff Anderson and Chad Evans, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

Though it's the last day of Jazz Appreciation Month and some local not-for-profit presenters already have wound down their seasons, there's still some interesting jazz and creative music to be heard in St. Louis this week, including the long-awaited return of one of the top tenor saxophonists working today. That would be Joe Lovano, who will be back in St. Louis for the first time since the year 2000 with his band Us Five for a four-night stand opening this ...

Dennis Mitcheltree
saxophone, tenor
Dave Wilson
saxophone
Dan Andersen
guitar, electric
David Borgo
saxophone
Dimitris Tsakas
saxophone, alto
Jonathan Suazo
saxophone
Daryl Gott
saxophone, alto
Marcio Resende
saxophone, tenor
Waxwing
band / ensemble / orchestra
Jon Bentley
saxophone, tenor
Jason Kush
saxophone
Dom Franks
saxophone, tenor
Oleksandr Kolosii
saxophone, tenor
Moritz Stahl
saxophone
CODE Quartet
band / ensemble / orchestra
Jérôme Masco
saxophone
Jackson Cotugno
saxophone, tenor
Aretha Tillotson
bass, acoustic
Alex Madeline
saxophone

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Our Daily Bread

ECM Records
2023

buy

Reed Rapture in...

Mahakala Music
2022

buy

Other Worlds

Greenleaf Music
2021

buy

Our Daily Bread

From: Our Daily Bread
By Joe Lovano

Videos

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