Results for "saxophone, soprano"

George Probert

Born: March 5, 1927

Soprano-saxophonist George Probert (who doubles on alto for this lively set) is best-known as an alumnus of the Firehouse Five Plus Two but he has been a fixture at traditional jazz festivals for decades. As a largely self-taught soprano saxophonist and occasional clarinetist, George Probert was one of the younger players in the Dixieland revival bands of the 1950's. Probert had important associations with Bob Scobey (1950-53), Kid Ory (1954) and particularly the Firehouse Five Plus Two (from 1954 until their final record in 1969). Probert became musical director of the Walt Disney Studio in 1955

Sam Morrison

Born: February 26, 1952

Steve Lacy

Born: July 23, 1934

Steve Lacy, one of the greatest soprano saxophonists of all time and a New England Conservatory faculty member since fall 2002, died Friday [June 4th, 2004] at New England Baptist Hospital. The jazz master who once defined his profession as “combination orator, singer, dancer, diplomat, poet, dialectician, mathematician, athlete, entertainer, educator, student, comedian, artist, seducer and general all around good fellow” was 69. He leaves his wife and collaborator, the Swiss singer Irene Aebi. Born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York City, Lacy was the first avant garde jazz musician to make a specialty of the soprano saxophone--an instrument that had become almost completely neglected during the Bop era

Kenny G

Born: June 5, 1956

Kenneth Gorelick began his career as a musician when he acquired his first ever professional job as saxophone soloist for Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1976 at the age of 20, when White was impressed by his mastery of the blues scale. Kenny was also studying for a major in accounting at the same time. After he graduated from the University of Washington he played with the funk band Cold, Bold & Together before becoming a credited member of The Jeff Lorber Fusion. He began his solo career after his period with Lorber. In 1982, Kenny G signed with Arista Records as a solo artist, after label president Clive Davis heard his rendition of ABBA's "Dancing Queen"

Lol Coxhill

Born: September 19, 1932

Between 1947 and 1949 the teenage Lol Coxhill organised club sessions comprising live contemporary jazz plus recordings of modern jazz musicians such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Lennie Tristano, Miles Davis and Stan Kenton. From 1950 to 1951 he was 'temporarily inconvenienced by national service in the Royal Air Force' but for the rest of that decade he was a member of: Denzil Bailey's Afro-Cubists (Dizzy Gillespie, Machito compositions/ arrangements); the Graham Fleming Combo touring US air bases in England (Gerry Mulligan/Chet Baker compositions); and Sonny G and the G Men (R&B, standards)

Jane Bunnett

Born: October 22, 1955

Jane Bunnett has become one of the foremost jazz musicians in Canada, and has gained recognition around the world for her improvising talents, technical proficiency, and writing and band leading abilities. Born and educated in Toronto, she trained as a classical pianist from 1975-78 (attaining Grade 10 Piano Honors), until tendentious forced a switch to woodwinds at the Royal Conservatory. In 1979 she began concurrent studies in jazz at York University, Toronto, inspired by her first exposure to jazz great Charles Mingus and Rahsaan Roland Kirk in San Francisco. This led to studies with pianist Barry Harris, flautists James Newton, Frank Wess and James Moody; then, having heard soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy’s music, she began to focus on that instrument also. A 1991 Canada Council grant enabled her to travel to Paris to begin studies with Lacy.

Sidney Bechet

Born: May 14, 1897

Along with his fellow New Orleanian, Louis Armstrong, Bechet was one of the first great soloists in jazz. His throaty, powerful clarinet and his throbbing soprano are among the most thrilling sounds in early jazz. He went from being a pioneer of jazz in the 1920s to a national hero in France, where he spent the final decade of his life. In his teens he made his name playing in some of New Orleans's up-and- coming bands, and he played there and in Chicago with King Oliver. Sidney Bechet was born in New Orleans in May 1897, of Creole ancestry, grew up in a middle class environment. His father, Omar, who was a shoemaker, played the flute as a hobby

Wen Mew

Born: May 20, 1961

wen mew was first exposed to Bird, Desmond while in high school in Alameda, California. He subsequently studied with Dr. Bill Bell at the College of Alameda. Bell was the former musical director for Carmen and Nancy Wilson. He also played with CANNONBALL and toured with BENNY CARTER. Wen later moved to Chicago and jammed with the likes of ELDEE YOUNG AND VON FREEMAN. Wen's returned to sunny Santa Monica where he's formed a duo with Actress-Vocalist JODY MORTARA, and co leads the wen-bud quintet with flugelhornist BUDDY BAILEY.

Jane Ira Bloom

Soaring, poetic, quick silver, spontaneous and instantly identifiable are words used to describe the soprano sound of saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom. She's been steadfastly developing her singular voice on the soprano saxophone for over 40 years creating a body of music that marks her as an American original. She is a pioneer in the use of live electronics and movement in jazz, as well as the possessor of "one of the most gorgeous tones and hauntingly lyrical ballad conceptions of any soprano saxophonist - Pulse." She is the winner of the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album for her trio album "Early Americans." Her continuing commitment to "pushing the envelope" in her music has led to collaborations with such outstanding jazz artists as Kenny Wheeler, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell, Rufus Reid, Matt Wilson, Bob Brookmeyer, Julian Priester, Jerry Granelli, Billy Hart, Mark Dresser, Bobby Previte, & Fred Hersch

Joe Rosenberg

Born: October 25, 1955

Soprano saxophonist and composer Joe Rosenberg is a unique and compelling voice in today’s jazz. A 1995 recipient of a Jazz Performance Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Joe has studied with the legendary Joe Viola, Buddy Collette and clarinetist John Carter. He has performed with internationally known artists such as Dewey Redman, Gary Foster, Buddy Collette, Junko Inishi, Misha Mengleberg, Mark Helias, Tom Rainey, Jean-Luc Guionnet and Edward Perraud. He make as a leader he is making "Joe Rosenberg Quartet East" with a recording titled "Version Two" with Indonesian musicians Sri Aksan Sjuman “Strongly written themes which seem to encapsulate much of what has gone on in jazz post- Parker…Tense, urgent and always immediate… a very distinctive approach to soloing” - Cook and Morton from the Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD This record was mastered by renowned mastering engineer Scott Hull, who has done all the recent Tzadik releases… In June of 2004, the Joe Rosenberg Quartet East recorded for the first time at the studio in Sai Kung