A fluid, vigorous soloist with a warm, soulful sound, Dayna Stephens has been described as one of the most exciting young tenor sax players." Showcasing brilliant playing as well as writing, he penned seven out of nine selections on the album. Versed listener can hear traces of tenor great Wayne Shorter, who, besides being one Stephens' inspirational heroes, was also his mentor.
Dayna Stephens, 28, showed serious talent early on, winning many awards and scholarships with various music programs. After graduating Berklee College of Music in Boston on a full scholarship, he was selected by judges Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard for the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at USC. While there, he studied and played with, among others, Shorter, Hancock, Dave Holland and Mark Turner. Since graduating from the Monk Institute in 2003, Dayna Stephens has worked with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Carlos Santana, Kenny Barron, Terence Blanchard, Steve Coleman and Stefon Harris.
A Timeless Now establishes Dayna Stephens as an exceptional talent with a bold new vision of jazz today.
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