Results for "saxophone, alto"

Jon Gordon

A native New Yorker, saxophonist and composer Jon Gordon was born into a musical family and began playing at age ten. In addition to private saxophone studies he attended Performing Arts High School and won numerous competitions, among them the Julius Grossman, the Goldman Band and the Performing Arts Concerto competition. This led to performances as a soloist with the Grossman orchestra, Goldman Band and the Performing Arts Orchestra. In his mid-teens Jon’s love for Jazz began to bloom?"he began sitting in regularly with Eddie Chamblee at Sweet Basil and started lessons with Phil Woods. From 1984-88 he attended Manhattan School of Music

Benjamin Koppel

Born: March 21, 1974

Benjamin Koppel, Danish saxophonist and composer, is one of the most award-winning musicians of his generation, known for his versatility and virtuosity. Koppel’s musical background is deeply rooted in his family and can be as well compared to the musical heritage from the famous Jacksons 5 or even the world known Bach family from Germany. He is the grandson of famous Danish classic composer Herman D. Koppel, and the son of musician and composer Anders Koppel, who had a great success worldwide with the band Savage Rose and is well known for being the greatest Danish beat musician of his generation

Swing MASA

Born: July 17, 1959

Swing MASA (Saxophone & Voice) MASA is the Saxophonist & Vocalist actively performing in Japan and US born and raised on Osaka. She started playing saxophone at age 12 and started taking practice lesson at age15. After studying the Theatrical Art at Osaka University of Art, She came to New York to study Jazz and Contemporary Music as a saxophone major at New School University under the guidance of Reggie Workman. She has performed at Birdland, Michigan Womyn’s Misic Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival, St. Peter’s Church and Harajuku Cuest Hall, Suginami Civic Hall, Kawachinagano Civic Hall, Tondabayasi Civic Hall, Fukuyama Civic Hall, Moriguchi Civic Hall, Dawn Center Hall in Japan. She has collaborated with the prominent artist including Dennis Charles, Zane Massey, Ricky Ford, Bross Townsend, Cecil Monrro, Kuni Mikami, Satoshi Inoue, Suhir Blackeagel, Miche Braden, Ubaka Hill, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Masaji Otsuka, Yutaka Sadoyama, Kan Mikami, Susumu Sakaguchi, Shizuno Nasu Riannon Taeko Tomiyama. She recorded; “Akeno Hoshi o Miagete/Looking up at the morning star” at New York “Swing MASA Band” at New York, "Swing MASA Osaka Jazz Womyns 2009" at Osaka, and recorded as gust musician of Masaji Otauka, Sadoyama Yutaka, Ubaka Hill Suhir Blackeagel. She lives in New York and travels extensively throughout Japan and US.

Nathan Holaway

Born: October 24, 1978

I am a 33-year-old jazz musician, who enjoys composing music of any and all kinds...but most particularly jazz music. It really is my life source. I love to play jazz whenever I get the chance, and everything that surrounds it. I have a B.A in Music from the University of Alabama and an M.M. in Jazz Arranging from the University of Alabama. I currently have over 200 original compositions to my pen. I have been a Jazz DJ with a specialty jazz show that lasted for 8 months. I am a columnist for: ALL ABOUT JAZZ (Building a Jazz Library) (http://www.allaboutjazz.com) JAZZ REVIEW (CD Reviews and Jazz Quiz Editor) (http://www.jazzreview.com) THE CITY MAGAZINE OF TUSCALOOSA THE PLANET WEEKLY I am also the originator / director / conductor / transcriber / arranger / public relations / webmaster / performer for the two "ZORNOGRAPHY: The Music of John Zorn" projects that were held in Tuscaloosa in November of 2003 and 2004. (http://www.zornography.freehomepage.com) *I am still grateful to the MANY outstanding musicians who worked on those projects with me* My current projects include: a classic jazz fusion quartet named ELECTRIC MAYHEM a traditional jazz quartet led by drummer TOM RISHER a traditional jazz quartet specifically for restaurants called the NEW AMBIENCE JAZZ QUARTET the delectable, savory sounds of GNAWED-OFF SHOTGUN, and I am also part of the NATHAN HOLAWAY TRIO which performs at many restaurants and features enjoyable standards along with many original compositions of my own. Hopefully, the immediate future will see me being part of a HARD BOP SEXTET that will feature some original charts and compositions from the members of the group. I wish you ALL a very bright and prosperous future. "If you don't live it --- it won't come out of your horn!" --- Charlie Parker---

Jorrit Dijkstra

The music of saxophonist and composer Jorrit Dijkstra draws from the jazz tradition in spirit and sound, but has crossed stylistic and cultural borders in order to express a strong, evolving personal vision. He spent his formative years in Amsterdam’s vibrant improvisation community, playing jazz, free improvisation, contemporary opera, and African, Celtic and Balkan music. Since moving to the United States in 2002, Dijkstra has deepened his affinity with the experimental forces of American music, while staying in touch with his Dutch musical roots. Dijkstra’s current projects include his Flatlands Collective, with leading Chicago improvisers, and an electro-acoustic duo with New York drummer/composer John Hollenbeck

Uri Gurvich

Born: November

Born and raised in Israel, Uri began playing the Saxophone at age of 11. He was a member of the Israeli Air Force Big Band and the Tel Aviv Jazz Orchestra, and at 19, he won the prestigious Jazz Player of the year competition in Israel, leading him to represent his country in the IASJ convention. In 2002 Uri was selected to represent Israel in the European Youth Jazz Orchestra. Additionally, he is a member of the United Nations Youth Big Band. After his army service, Uri received a scholarship and relocated to Boston to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Uri graduated with honors and moved to New York City, where he currently resides. Over the past few years, Uri has performed in major international jazz festivals in the U.S., Europe and Japan, and has shared the stage with Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, New York Voices, Django Bates, Esperansa Spalding, Francisco Mela and many more. Uri’s debut album, “The Storyteller”, featuring Chris Cheek and rising star drummer Francisco Mela, is available through New York based label, Tzadik Records.

Richard Miller

Born: May 4, 1974

Richard Miller has been writing, performing, and arranging music for the past fifteen years. His experiences range from playing saxophone in Manhattan jazz clubs to composing Renaissance motets. His interests lie in the creative aspects of composition, artistic collaboration and performance. During his high school years, Richard wrote and arranged for his own jazz quintet, playing weekly gigs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He went on to study jazz performance at the University of New Orleans under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis. He completed his B.M. at William Paterson University, studying with such notable jazz figures as Rufus Reid, Kenny Burrell, Vic Juris and Harold Mabern

Aaron Liddard

Born: May 15, 1973

Born and raised in rural Hertfordshire, the son of liberal and creative parents, Aaron Liddard’s initial foray in to the world of music came via one of the most eccentric of instruments, the tuba. From this unusual starting point and via brief dalliances with both the piano and guitar, he settled on the saxophone, discovering a natural affinity with his chosen instrument that would influence his existence to the present day, taking him on a truly varied and fascinating voyage of discovery. 



Receiving school music lessons from the classical composer Nicholas Sackman and renowned choral director Dr Charlie Beale provided an initial enthusiasm, but it was Liddard’s discovery of the Buntingford Jazz Club that truly ignited a spark, absorbing the intricate and dexterous guitar playing of Jim Mullen and the mellifluous tones of Alan Skidmore on sax. It was at this club that Liddard improvised for the very first time, in front of his newly discovered heroes.

Andrew Speight

Born: 1964

Andrew Speight is a clear-toned, hard driving alto sax player, one of the Bay Area's most lively and lyrical exponents of straight-ahead, joyous jazz. A native of Sydney, Australia, Speight came of age playing with American stars like Percy Heath, Nat Adderley and Benny Carter as they passed through town. His 1998 CD, Andrew Speight Quartet, won an Aria Award, the Australian version of a Grammy.

Speight has been in the U.S. since the early 90's, leading jazz programs first at Michigan State University and now at San Francisco State. But most importantly, Speight has been blowing the doors off of every joint lucky enough to have him on the bandstand.

Nick Hempton

Born: January 1, 1976

Nick Hempton is an alto and tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, producing new music in the modern/mainstream tradition. Calling New York home since 2004, he headlines clubs throughout the city, as well as concert halls and festivals around the world. Influenced by the greats of the instrument– Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderley, etc., and informed by a youth misspent playing Rhythm & Blues and Ska in his native Australia, Hempton's jazz is original, approachable, and always swinging. From 2005 to 2016, Nick led The Nick Hempton Band: “an unusually sharp, cohesive unit” (David Orthmann– AAJ) performing original compositions at most of the major New York venues, as well as touring regionally and internationally