Adam Schroeder

Baritone saxophonist Adam Schroeder is the first call for a growing multitude of musical contexts.  He has firmly established his influential voice as a major force within the global jazz community being recognized as a “Rising Star” on the Baritone Saxophone in Down Beat Magazine’s 59th, 63rd, 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th, 70th, 71st and 72nd Annual Critic’s Poll as well as in the 76th, 79th, 80th, 82nd and 84th Annual Reader’s Poll and the JazzEd Magazine 2014 Readers Poll.  Schroeder is known equally for his hard-driving muscular swing, ferocious be-bopping, meticulous musicianship and leadership as well as his exquisite sound.  His style has been described as possessing soul a la Carney, intricate lines like those of Chaloff and Adams, the in-the-pocket swing of Mulligan and the hard-driving take-no-prisoners approach of Smulyan.  This description of Schroeder’s approach is a concise ‘short list’ of the baritone saxophone lineage where Schroeder’s name has now been cemented for, he is truly a master of the most unwieldy of traditional jazz instruments.  Recently John Beasley’s MONK’estra, one of the many large ensembles Adam is a core and featured member of, was up for their 7th and 8th Grammy nominations.  These nominations resulted in a 2021 Grammy Win for this ensemble.  Since Schroeder’s appointment at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, he has contributed to 11 Grammy nominated projects.

Schroeder’s third release as a leader, “CT! Adam Schroeder & Mark Masters celebrate Clark Terry,” (CAPRI 2024) continues to gain critical acclaim around the globe staying on the JazzWeek Radio Chart for 22 straight weeks.  It was also just recognized as one of the “Top 100 Releases for 2024” on the JazzWeek Radio Chart.  His debut release, “A Handful of Stars,”(CAPRI 2010) reached #10 on the JazzWeek Radio Chart and was also recognized as one of the “Top 100 Releases for 2010.”  “Let’s,” (CAPRI 2014) his second release as a leader was recognized by the JazzWeek National Jazz Radio Chart as one of the “Top 100 Releases for 2014.”

Born in 1978 and growing up in Sioux City, Iowa, Adam began his musical studies on alto saxophone while in grade school. After an introduction to Charlie Parker in 1992, Schroeder’s musical interest became fixed solely within the jazz idiom where between his junior and senior years, he discovered his saxophonistic voice switching from the alto over to the baritone.  Later that same year, Adam was asked to fill the baritone saxophone chair in the college big band at Clark Terry’s International Institute of Jazz Studies.  The acceptance of this position sparked a relationship with the famed trumpeter, which lead to a multitude of musical opportunities shared between them for many years.

In June of 2000, Downbeat Magazine named Mr. Schroeder the Co-Winner of the “Jazz Instrumental Soloist Award” (the 23rd Annual Student Music Awards); the first time that a Baritone Saxophonist had been given this prestigious honor.  Later that same year, Mr. Schroeder’s career took off with calls coming in from Columbia Artists (Maureen McGovern and John Pizzarelli in Concert), Clark Terry (The QE2’s 17th Annual Floating Jazz Festival), and from Ray Charles; a call that started a four-year relationship up until the singer’s untimely passing.

Throughout his career, Adam has had the fortunate opportunity to play and record with a growing list of musical greats.  Performance highlights include contributions to many Grammy Award winning and nominated albums, playing with Lady Gaga’s “Jazz & Piano Shows,” Quincy Jones, Jason Derulo’s Las Vegas Residency, the Los Angeles & Las Vegas Philharmonic’s, the Ray Charles Orchestra, Vince Mendoza, Chucho Valdés, Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Sting, SuperSax, John Beasley’s MONK’estra, the Bob Mintzer Big Band, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra and with Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band amongst others.  Schroeder can also be recognized for his network television appearances on NBC’s “The Voice,” “X-Factor,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show;” ABC’s “The Middle,” FOX’s “American Idol,” Disney’s “Dodo Beach,” “Elena of Avalor” and “Tangled,” Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful,” the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, the 20th Annual Latin Grammy Awards and in film credits including “Let Them All Talk,” “Storks,” “The Good Dinosaur,” “Purl,” “Small Town Crime,”“SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run,” and “Own The Room.”  Schroeder created and curated three seasons of the concert series “Journey Through Jazz” at the Las Vegas Clark County Library District in conjunction with the Las Vegas Jazz Society, the Jazz Education Network, the Nevada School of the Arts and the Clark County School District.  Schroeder was just awarded the States Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) 2023 Regents’ Award for Creative Activities.  Earlier that same year, Schroeder was awarded an “Project Grant for Artists” from the Nevada Arts Council.  In the spring of 2022, he was also awarded UNLV’s “Charles Vanda Award for the Excellence in the Arts.” 

While maintaining an active schedule, Schroeder’s presence in the jazz community, both stateside and abroad, is felt not only in his intense musicality, but also in his educational outreach to the community.  When asked about his flourishing career, Adam replied, “Clark Terry NEVER stopped teaching others, always taking time out of his life to give, be it mentoring in music or in life.  He instilled that in me from the moment we first met; that’s a lesson I’ll never forget and a lesson I strive to live up to each and every day of my musical life.”

Schroeder holds a BM in Jazz Studies from Texas State University, San Marcos and a MM in Jazz Studies from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, California State University, Long Beach and currently serves as an Associate Professor of Jazz & Commercial Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Schroeder is the former Director of the School of Jazz at the Nevada School of the Arts.  Lastly, Adam is a proud Yamaha Artist, a D’Addario Reeds Artist and a Capri Records Artist.  For more information, please visit www.lowblowschroe.com.

Gear

Yamaha YBS-62 Low A Baritone Saxophone, Hard Rubber Berg Larsen Mouthpieces 110/2 SMS, Rico Jazz Select Reeds 3M Unfiled