Results for "saxophone, alto"

Rent Romus

Born: January 6, 1968

Rent Romus is a saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, music producer, and community leader hailed by Downbeat as having "...a bold sound, unmistakable sincerity and conviction". A third generation Finnish American born in Hancock Michigan of the Upper Peninsula and growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Romus' work on the saxophone has been dubbed “ferocious” by the San Francisco Weekly and “central to the creative music world of the West Coast” by writer jazz critic Frank Rubolino. From his very beginnings as a student of jazz while being exposed to the twilight tutelage of Stan Getz he found himself drawn to the outer realms of Sun Ra and Albert Ayler, as well as Arthur Blythe, Derek Bailey and Merzbow.

He runs the Lords of Outland a free jazz unit since 1994, the Life’s Blood Ensemble a contemporary original ensemble, and works with pianist Thollem McDonas in the Bloom Project, composer bandleader Heikki "Mike" Koskinen, the collective improvisation group The Ruminations and other various projects.

Rent Romus has recorded music exploring improvisation and composition in a wide variety of musical settings both as a leader and sideman which have included Chico Freeman, John Tchicai, Vinny Golia, Thollem McDonas, Heikki "Mike" Koskinen, Stefan Pasborg, James Zitro, Kash Killion, and Jon Bridsong to name a few.

He is the founder of Edgetone Records with over 30 years of independent music production, and performance experience as well as the founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Outsound Presents under which curates the bi-weekly music series known as SIMM at the Musicians Union Hall, the weekly Luggage Store Gallery Creative Music Series, as well as annual Outsound New Music Summit, the Bay Area's creative music festival held every summer in San Francisco.

Gary Bartz

Born: September 26, 1940

Gary Bartz has been known to many as a trail blazer in the music business from the moment he started playing with Art Blakey at his father’s jazz club in his hometown of Baltimore, MD to his own music throughout the 57 years as a professional musician. As if his Grammy Award© with McCoy Tyner in 2005 (‘Illuminations’) wasn’t enough to carve out a place for Bartz in the jazz genre, he has broken the mold with more than 40 solo albums and over 200 as a guest artist.

Gary Bartz first came to New York In 1958 to attend the Julliard Conservatory of Music. Just 17 years old, Gary couldn't wait to come to the city to play and learn. "It was a very good time for the music in New York, at the end of what had been the be-bop era," says Bartz. "Charlie Parker had passed away three years previously but Miles' group was in its heyday, Monk was down at the Five Spot, and Ornette Coleman was just coming to town. Things were fresh." Back then, Gary could regularly be found drinking Cokes in the all ages "peanut gallery" of Birdland, enjoying a marathon bill of performers. "If I didn't have money to get in. I'd help somebody carry a drum and sneak in," laughs Bartz. "I learned that early on."

Marshall Allen

Born: May 25, 1924

Marshall Allen - alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, oboe, kora, and E.V.I. (Electronic Valve Instrument).

Marshall Belford Allen, alto saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, and arranger, was born May 25, 1924 in Louisville, Kentucky and started clarinet lessons at age 10. At 18, he enlisted in the Army's 92nd Infantry (renowned as the Buffalo Soldiers), playing clarinet and alto saxophone in the 17th Division Special Service Band. Stationed in Paris during World War II, he played with pianist Art Simmons and saxophonist Don Byas, and he toured and recorded with James Moody during the late '40's. Upon honorable discharge, Mr. Allen enrolled in the Paris Conservatory of Music, studying clarinet with Delacluse. Returning to the States in 1951, Marshall settled in Chicago, where he led his own bands, playing in clubs and dance halls, while writing his own music and arrangements, as he continues to do today.

Kaoru Abe

Born: May 5, 1949

Kaoru Abe was a Japanese jazz pianist, guitarist and saxophonist. Kaoru Abe was a free jazz saxophonist, who was nearly unknown outside of Japan, and who generally played solo. During the 1970s, he recorded a string of albums for the Japanese record labels DIW (Live at Gaya, Vol. 1 - 10) and PFSD (Duo, 1971, Solo 1972 and Last Date 1978). Shortly before his death the quartet album 'Alda's Call' was recorded together with Toshinoro Kondo, Derek Bailey and Motoharu Yoshizawa. He died of a drug overdose; his death was quickly romanticized in the Japanese jazz underground. He was married to the authoress Izumi Suzuki and starred in the movie 'Endless Waltz' of director Koji Wakamatsu

Shenole Latimer

Born: June 21, 1973

He strides on stage with the energy of a rock star and brings his saxophone to his lips. Suddenly you feel an incredible force pulling you towards him and the stage. Such is the seemingly magnetic ability of award winning saxophonist Shenole Latimer to draw in his audience with his glowing stage persona and impassioned playing. Latimer's playing style shows influences drawn from the likes of Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis, and Dexter Gordon. However, he exhibits the gift of being able to effectively communicate with and affect his audiences through a voice that is uniquely his own. Shenole Latimer decided to pursue music professionally in 1998 and within just one year of his entering the scene, he had gained an endorsement from the woodwind instrument accessory giant known as Vandoren and had handily won the 1999 Best Horn Player Award, which was a prestigious reader's poll from the now defunct Long Island Voice

Sonny Simmons

Born: August 4, 1933

Sonny Simmons made a number of striking albums in the 60's. Born in 1933, he was already a well-travelled Parkerian and a signaled innovator on the West Coast when he first came to national attention in 1963 with his debut recording "The Cry!" (with the Prince Lasha Quintet, on Contemporary), live appearances in NYC with Sonny Rollins, and sessions with Eric Dolphy (for whom he wrote the standard, "Music Matador") and Coltrane's rhythm section ("Illumination!", on Impulse). Though not a die-hard avant-gardist (like Ornette Coleman and Jimmy Lyons, other alto sax luminaries from the same generation, he sticks in his own provocative way to the tradition), he was then a leading figure of the Free Jazz scene in NYC with his wife Barbara Donald, cutting legendary records for ESP in 1966, "Staying On The Watch" and "Music From The Spheres"

Phil Woods

Born: November 2, 1931

Phil Woods joined the jazz music scene in New York during the late 1940’s when bebop was gaining popularity as the new direction of American jazz. After graduating from Juilliard Music School Phil quickly gained fame by joining the Birdland All Stars Tour of 1956, and then the Dizzy Gillespie State Department Tour throughout the Middle East. During the late 1950’s Phil worked with jazz luminaries including Quincy Jones and Thelonious Monk. Phil’s partnership with Gene Quill in the late 1950’s established Phil as a major jazz star and led to many exciting recordings during the 1960’s

Dave Crowell

Born: July 5, 1980

Victor Valente

Born: February 7, 1972

Initially regarded as a promising east coast underground hip hop dj, Mc and aerosol artist in the early 80’s Victor Valente (known in the 80’s to Mid 90’s as Super V.) has expanded his reach in the years, establishing himself as a profound musician, becoming one of the most versatile hip hop jazz artists today. Victor’s Career began in 1983, beat boxing for Duane “Darock” Ramos (currently an established hip hop producer in L.A) as a duo called A.N.C. (Another Nasty Crew) Based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Performing at local block parties and talent shows. After A.N.C. dis-banded in 1985 Victor went on to form a new duo called the Breakdown Bros

Loren Stillman

Born: June 14, 1980

Saxophonist and composer Loren Stillman was born in 1980 inLondon England. Inspired by his uncle, saxophonist MikeStillman, he began playing at age 7. Raised in Croton-on-Hudson, Stillman had easy access to New York City’s jazzscene where his early teachers included Ted Nash, Dick Oattsand Dave Liebman.

Stillman studied classical saxophone with instructor’s DanGoble and Harvey Pittell at the Boston University TanglewoodInstitute in 1995. In studying with these well versedsaxophonists, he gained a strong knowledge of Joe Allard’sapproach to saxophone playing, emphasizing a natural andrelaxed view to the instrument through the study ofovertones and vocal manipulation of sound.