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Arman Sangalang
Chicago-based saxophonist and composer Arman Sangalang has been garnering attention as one of the up-and-coming jazz musicians on the scene. Sangalang’s intricate originals weave together lyricism and colorful textures to deliver atmospheric soundscapes. Drawing inspiration from Chicago’s genre-bending creative music scene, his music ranges from contemplative to groove-oriented. His current project, the Arman Sangalang Quartet, brings freewheeling and fiery improvisations to audiences. His debut record Quartet (2023, Calligram Records) was awarded Best First Release as Leader by RadioRadioX. Sangalang is set to release his sophomore album Waypoints on Calligram Records in August 2026.
Throughout his career, he’s had the honor of sharing the stage with notable jazz artists such as Jon Irabagon, Dana Hall, Clark Sommers, Bruce Forman, Sharel Cassity, Essiet Okon Essiet, Sylvia Cuenca, and countless others. His music has been performed at prestigious venues like the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, and Chicago Jazz Festival. Other notable venues include The Green Mill, Andy’s Jazz Club, the Hungry Brain, The California Clipper, The Whistler, Mr. Tipple’s Jazz Club and the Logan Center for the Arts.
Sangalang has also received various accolades in the last few years. Most recently, Sangalang was named a 2026 Luminarts Jazz Improvisation Fellow. He is also an alum of programs like the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy, the Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency, and the Jazz Institute of Chicago Jazz Links Fellowship. His debut album received grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
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Arman Sangalang: Waypoints
by Jack Bowers
Waypoints, the second recording by Chicago-based tenor saxophonist Arman Sangalang's quartet, continues on a path similar to his first, Arman Sangalang Quartet (Calligram, 2023), leaning on original compositions and closing with a perennially popular standard, Johnny Green's “Body & Soul." Sangalang is a splendid player, blending a strong and persuasive solo voice with precise technique and a bright and pleasing sound. His teammates are similarly adept, lending Sangalang solid and dependable support. The compositional highlight of the program ...
Continue ReadingArman Sangalang: Waypoints
by Dan McClenaghan
Saxophonist Arman Sangalang released his debut record, Quartet (Calligram Records) in 2023. It was a smoldering sax-and-a-rhythm-section quartet outing that sounded surprisingly fresh for a first recording effort. His follow-up, Waypoints, employs the same format, switching out bassist Matt Ulery for Ethan Philion, while keeping guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Devin Drobka. The sophomore effort careens toward expanded freedom, boldly. “I wanted to give them [his quartet cohorts] the freedom to do what they wanted with the music," ...
Continue ReadingIRIS: IRIS
by Glenn Astarita
IRIS is a self-titled debut, encapsulating the vibrant spirit of Chicago's jazz scene. The ensemble, composed of Arman Sangalang (tenor saxophone), Kirby Fellis (trombone), Austyn Menk (piano), Morgan Turner (bass) and Paul Barrilles (drums and cymbals), marries the rich traditions of hard bop and post-bop with a fresh, contemporary outlook. The album opens with “Easy Does It," a piece by Sangalang inspired by a new music venue in Chicago, setting a tone of camaraderie and spirited interplay with ...
Continue ReadingArman Sangalang: Quartet
by Jack Bowers
Chicago-based tenor saxophonist Arman Sangalang, still in his mid-20s, makes his recording debut with Quartet, wherein his talented four-member ensemble uses delicate textures and shadings in lieu of heated fire and brimstone to amplify its even-tempered musical purpose. That was clearly Sangalang's idea, as he wrote all save one of the album's ten by and large tranquil themes (chaperoning the lone standard, Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen's “Polka Dots and Moonbeams"). Sangalang's unaccompanied intro to that ...
Continue ReadingArman Sangalang Releases 'Waypoints' On Calligram Records
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Calligram Records
Waypoints is the sophomore album from Chicago saxophonist-composer Arman Sangalang, recorded at Pro Musica in Chicago. His debut, Quartet (2023), introduced a promising young voice; Waypoints is a significant step forward: eight original compositions and one jazz standard written across two years of movement and discovery as Sangalang shuttled between Chicago and Monterey, California, teaching, performing, and attending residencies. “From making our first record I learned a lot about balancing between written material and improvisation,” says Sangalang. “I wrote this ...
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Music
Arman Sangalang
Location: Chicago
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
