Results for "Saxophone"

Justin Chart

Born: February 6, 1970

Universal Music Group artist Justin Chart is a visionary alto saxophonist and a prominent figure in the modern West Coast jazz scene. Jazz Europe rates Justin Chart as one of the top ten modern day hard bop saxophone players in the world. Known in jazz circles as “The Blizzard” for his explosive playing and intricate compositional changes, Chart is a trailblazer who is one of the modern masters of Hard-Bop jazz. His unique style is characterized by a seductive yet familiar vibe, offering a harmonic edge that remains deeply rooted in the jazz lineage while standing out as distinctly modern in color.

Amber Navran

Born: October 16, 1989

Amber Navran is a LA based singer, producer, and woodwind player. She is a member of the neo-soul trio Moonchild. With Moonchild she has 4 albums out and tours world wide, opening for acts like Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, The Internet, and Kamasi Washington. She also has two solo projects out as a producer, and guests frequently on other peoples projects, including Rapsody, 9th Wonder, R+R=NOW, Chris Dave and Daniel Crawford.

JustKing Jones

Born: December 13

JustKing Jones is a saxophonist, composer, and producer known for his powerful blend of jazz, Caribbean rhythm, and gospel influence. 

Emerging from the vibrant New York jazz scene, he has crafted a sound that is both deeply rooted and forward-facing—connecting tradition to innovation with every note.

His unforgettable tone and genre-fluid approach have brought him to stages around the world, performing with artists such as Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Gorillaz, Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli, and Grammy Award-winner Bilal. 

Whether leading his own ensemble or collaborating with visionary artists, Jones delivers performances that are spiritually charged, rhythmically rich, and emotionally healing.

Intergalactic Brasstronauts

Born: June 2, 1983

Since landing on an abandoned planet Earth in January 2021, the Intergalactic Brasstronauts have been studying the strange conical, mechanical and electronic instruments left behind by the enigmatic human race. Our quest is to understand the purpose and significance of the phenomena the humans called "music". Our debut album, "Music For The People", will be released on 16 July 2021 across all digital platforms.

Traysee Julian Leonard

Waxwing

Formed in 2007, Waxwing is a co-led group created by three veterans of the Vancouver music scene: Tony Wilson on guitar, Peggy Lee on cello and Jon Bentley on saxophones. The trio has released three studio recordings featuring their original compositions: "Flicker Down" (2021 Songlines Recordings) , "A Bowl Of Sixty Taxidermists" (2015 - Songlines Recordings), and "Escondido Dreams" (2007 - Drip Audio). The recipient of numerous Canada Council Grants, Waxwing has performed their unique works in concerts across Canada and has been a regular favourite in the Vancouver International Jazz Festival

Kenny Kirkwood

Kenny Kirkwood is a Juno award-winning Canadian musician who has toured internationally in a career spanning three decades. He has worked with Gord Downie, Kim Mitchell, Jacksoul, Kevin Breit, NOJO and Paul Reddick. Kenny has also opened for James Brown, Al Green and performed for Quincy Jones. Kenny spent his childhood in Zambia, experiencing traditional Bemba and Nyanja music, language and culture, and hearing local folk and pop groups and church choirs. These experiences deeply ingrained in him the value of the communal and spiritual aspects of music, song and dance in everyday life. Over the last decade Kenny has collaborated with Indigenous people on Turtle Island and worldwide in working towards reconciliation

Stefan Wistrand

Stefan Wistrand got hooked on jazz in the early 70s and at the same time took up playing the saxophone. At first involved in the then-current jazz rock scene, he soon encountered free jazz through the duo he formed in the mid 70s with drummer Peter Olsen. In 1978 they released the album "Duo" on composer Leo Nilsson’s label Studio Viarp. (Reissued in 2023 as "Duo (1977)" on Einnicken Records) Throughout the 80s Wistrand was active on the alternative rock scene, touring Sweden and Scandinavia and recording three albums with rock group Memento Mori.

In the 90s he returned to jazz and improvisational music and was initially mainly active as leader of free jazz group Nods Off, with Olsen, bassist Stefan Larsson and guitarist Daniel Berton. Nods Off has released five CDs on Einnicken Records. Other jazz musicians who have been members of Nods Off are drummer Erik Dahlbäck, bassist Tommy Skotte, trumpeters Tommy Adolfsson and Emil Strandberg.

In 1999, together with musician Per Åhlund, Wistrand formed the musician collective and scene Memento in Eskilstuna. A coalition of creative musicians in the genres of electronica, jazz, rock and improvisation.

Wistrand started several projects with young musicians around the turn of the century 99-00, as for example jazz group Blue Room Repository Ensemble, "big band" Memento Creative Orchestra, free improvising units Fundamental Form and Two Sounds Ensemble.The latter, a duo with pianist Joakim Simonsson, has released two albums "Inversions" (2004) and "Fictions" (2009).

In 2002-2003 Wistrand played as a soloist on soundtracks by film composer Thomas Rydell, among them the music for the Swedish motion picture “Hot Dog” by director Alexandra-Therese Keining. In 2007 Wistrand received an honorary award from the Memorial Foundation of ground-breaking Swedish saxophonist Börje Fredriksson “for considerable achievements in jazz with connection to (the city of) Eskilstuna”. 2008 saw the forming of the Wistrand/Rytzler Quartet, which plays in a style with considerable roots in 60s modal jazz. Wistrand and pianist Johannes Rytzler also perform as a duo.

The long-awaited debut album by Fundamental Form was released in 2010. The same year Wistrand also was assigned the County Council of Sörmland’s cultural scholarship for long time service as “an engine and driving force in the musical life, and in its forefront.”

The three-day Nordic Sound Station 2012 in Eskilstuna had Wistrand as its curator and featured electronic experimentation, free improvisation, contemporary art music, new jazz and rock music. Also, curator for the music at the Nordic Art Station in Eskilstuna in 2013.

In 2013 Wistrand formed The Electric MZ as a tool to find a new way to approach the jazz rock he had experienced in the 70s. The present incarnation includes David Lindh, guitar, Johannes Rytzler, keyboards, Mattias Green, bass & flugelhorn, Johan Carlsson, drums & percussion and Gunnar Fridh, congas & percussion. The Electric MZ's debut album “Silent in the Murmur” was released in 2015 and was followed by a second album entitled ”Eternity & A Day” in 2018.

The fall of 2017 saw Wistrand receiving Eskilstuna municipality’s music prize. The motivation by the jury read: ”This year's music prize winner, has as saxophonist, with thorough knowledge of improvisational music and its development in Sweden, been an inspiration and music creator together with many young musicians. On the record company Einnicken Records, established in 1993, there are several releases that have received great appreciation in free form and jazz circuits, not only in Sweden but around the world.”

In his research on Swedish jazz history, Wistrand has written two books: ”Jazzen och dansorkestrarna i Eskilstuna – 1924-1969” (Jazz and its dance orchestras in Eskilstuna – 1924-1969) in 2017 and ”Börje Fredriksson, saxofonist” in 2019. The latter a biography about the early dead saxophonist Börje Fredriksson (1937-1968). One of the truly rare voices in Swedish jazz, both as saxophonist and composer. Following the biography, a digital double album with the same title consisting of rare unreleased recordings by Fredriksson and compiled by Wistrand was released on Caprice Records.

The same year as the Fredriksson biography Wistrand also participated with a bass clarinet piece for the film "Hans Arnold - the witch master of the brush" - a documentary about the Swiss/Swedish artist Hans Arnold by filmmaker Micke Engström.

An album entitled "Intro: Version" with a "lost" edition of free jazz group Nods Off was released in April 2021. Containing compositions by Wistrand and recorded live in a club atmosphere in 1999. At that time, in addition to Wistrand, the band consisted of drummer Erik Dahlbäck and bassist Tommy Skotte. Both with experiences from playing free jazz with i.a. Per Henrik Wallin (Dahlbäck) and Peter Brötzmann (Skotte).

The Electric MZ's third album saw the light of day in November 2022. Titled "Tales of Trees", it had been delayed for almost two years due to the worldwide pandemic and its effects on the music industry. This new endeavour sees the band working in a more collective way on Wistrand's material than on previous albums, while at the same time incorporating influences from electronic music yet retaining the pulsating flow they are known for.

Dan Sawyer

Dan Sawyer is an accomplished musician (guitar & saxophone) who has performed all over the world with the likes of Al Jarreau, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin. Dan is also an award-winning composer for many popular animated series (Nickelodeon’s “Doug”, Disney's 101 Dalmatians, PB&J Otter) and has written and produced music for over 300 TV shows. His latest CD is a groundbreaking collection of ukulele tunes. In the jazz world, Dan has played with many of the top artists including Victor Feldman, James Moody, Tom Scott, John Clayton and Gerald Wilson.

Marek Konarski

Born: April 20, 1992

A saxophonist characterized by a warm and deep sound, recognizable phrase and extraordinary musical sensitivity. Active on the European scene, both as a leader and a member of many projects. His improvisations are energetic and full of lyricism. They are influenced by Scandinavian music, Polish folk music and be-bop.

Since 2006 he has attended classes at the “Small Academy of Jazz” run by Boguław Dziekański and “Jazz Club Pod Filarami” in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland. This extraordinary form of education spurred his passion for jazz music. Currently, Marek Konarski is the youngest lucterer in the project.

In 2011, he moved to Denmark to study at the Syddansk Musik Konservatorium