Results for "Saxophone"

Anthony Bruno

Anthony Bruno has dedicated his life to music as a performer, educator, and creator. Born into a musical family, playing music has been a hallmark of his existence. Rooted in jazz but drawn to pop, rock and R&B, Anthony writes and plays unapologetically from the soul.  As described by Andrew Meriwether on 91.5 WBEZ, “(Bruno) has this ability to create melodies on the saxophone and I swear that I hear lyrics in my head when I hear these saxophone lines. I don’t know how he does it, it’s truly astounding." Since 2020, he has had a burgeoning career as a solo artist including 12 record and single releases of his own including his latest release entitled Cefalù, a sonic story about places known and fantasized. He has garnered over 3 Million Spotify streams for his releases and has been selected to 14 Spotify Editorial Playlists ranging from Contemporary Jazz to R&B as well as 2 YouTube Music Editorial Playlists. Bruno has also performed at various prestigious music festivals such as the New York City Winter Jazz Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, and the Chicago Blues Festival. Anthony is an endorsing artist for D’Addario Woodwind Products and Selmer Paris Saxophones.

Brian Sacco

Dave Salvator

Dave is a multi-instrumentalist (reeds, keys) who has been making music for over 40 years who makes his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Today, Dave’s musical endeavors are focused on two groups. The Grease Traps is a hard-groovin’ funk band based in Oakland. And his own new Brazilian jazz quartet, Saravá, which combines the Brazilian songbook with an American jazz sensibility. This group visits different corners of Brazilian music, including bossa nova and samba, as well as styles from the Brazilian Northeast.

Gabriel Genest

Born: July 8, 1992

Originally from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Gabriel Genest is a saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, composer and arranger based in Montreal since 2013. In 2020, he completed a Master's degree in Jazz Performance at McGill University with Frank Lozano, Rémi Bolduc and Jean-Michel Pilc. He has also studied composition and arranging with Jean-Nicolas Trottier, Joe Sullivan, John Hollenbeck and John Roney.

In 2021, Genest released his debut album Triptyque, for which he received the François-Marcaurelle Award from the OFF Festival de Jazz de Montréal. He also distinguished himself at the FestiJazz de Rimouski competition in 2019, placing as a finalist with his ensemble.

McCoy Mrubata

Born: 1959

McCoy Mrubata was born in 1959 in the township of Langa, Cape Town, South Africa. He was surrounded in childhood by many African hymns, from the sounds of Zion churches to the brassy music of the Merry Macs band who rehearsed opposite his home. With the difficulty of living under the apartheid government and the 1976’s uprising, McCoy left school and followed his music passion. His instrument then was flute, which He studied informally under the likes of Madoda Gxabeka, the Ngcukanas, Winston Ngozi, Ezra and many Langa greats.

In the early 1980s, Mrubata played with many cover bands such as Fever, Touch and Airborne, from where he moved to crossover outfit Louis and the Jive. While touring in the 1980s, he was spotted by bandleader Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, who helped him make Johannesburg his home. As Mrubata grew into playing a wider range of reeds and composing more, he engaged with many other bands and that led to the opportunity of a recording deal by producer Koloi Lebona with a British-based record company named Zomba Records in 1988. The same company had produced, among others, Jonathan Butler and Billy Ocean. The following year Mrubata released his debut album Firebird and went on to form Brotherhood, a band with names such as guitarist Jimmy Dludlu, pianist Nhlanhla Magagula and Lucas Khumalo winning the Gilbey's Music for Africa prize in 1990.

Dom Pusey

Born: April 3, 1992

Dom Pusey grew up in Hertfordshire (UK). Surrounded by music from the beginning, he was introduced to the saxophone at the age of 8, igniting his lifelong passion for music. He started performing on sax and guitar from age 15 and played his first professional gigs not long after.

After studying at the University of North Texas and graduating from the University of Leeds, Dom moved to London in 2016 and has collaborated with many artists such as producer Wilma Archer, singer Celeste and even performed with legendary soul band The O’Jays. He is a quarter of the band Stratos, playing weekly in Hackney and featuring rising stars Mike de Souza, Rio Kai and Jamie Murray.

Jordan VanHemert

Born: 1988

Heralded by critics as a "saxophone powerhouse" (TakeEffect) with a penchant for modern, swinging melodicism, (famed jazz critic Scott Yanow), Origin Records recording artist Jordan VanHemert is the Director of Jazz Studies at Northeastern State University. He is currently touring as a bandleader and has performed in iconic venues across the United States. Acclaimed for his "adept and purposeful" solos that "swing surely and easily in the manner of Sonny Rollins" (All About Jazz), VanHemert’s compositions pay homage to his Korean roots and his inspiration from blues-infused hard bop tradition that was handed down to him by his mentors. 

Moritz Stahl

Born: August 7, 1991

Moritz Stahl The warm, seasoned tenor sound of Moritz Stahl is an unmistakable token of the young saxophonist. His remarkable musical talent was discovered early and cultivated: with the Landes Jugendjazzorchester Bayern and subsequently with the Bundesjazzorchester, Stahl performed on tour in Asia, South America and Europe, before beginning his jazz studies under Florian Trübsbach at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. During this time he became influenced by such mentors as Seamus Blake, Karsten Gorzel, as well as Christian Elsässer and Gregor Hübner during his ensuing composition degree

Natasha Blackwood

Born: September 8, 1984

Natasha Blackwood is a singer/songwriter, and saxophonist based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. She is a member of Eastern Owl, and Jazz East Big Band, and has appeared on ten studio albums to date.

Her upcoming sophomore album “Love Songs for Good Machines” was produced by Juno award winning artist Amelia Curran, and is set for release on May 31, 2024. It’s  a jazz album with folk sensibilities, and takes the listener on a walk through the everyday life of modern day Newfoundlanders. The songs have been described as “love letters to the working class”, with themes of labour and balance, love and loss, with a style rooted in traditional Newfoundland Folk Stories, but arrangements inspired by the Great American SongBook. 

Marcel Lüscher

Born: March 1, 1971

Ein Kosmos voller Soundmagie

Der Saxophonist und Klarinettist Marcel Lüscher steht für Klänge und Melodien voller Magie, Schlichtheit und optimistischer Melancholie. Er arbeitet mit Björn Meyer, Kaspar Rast und Thomas Lüscher sowie mit dem isländischen Gitarristen Kristinn Smári Kristinsson zusammen.

Marcel Lüscher stammt aus einer musikalischen Familie. Seine Eltern betrieben in Oftringen einen Musikladen sowie eine Musikschule. Der Vater spielt Akkordeon und Posaune der jüngere Bruder, Thomas, ist ebenfalls Profi-Musiker und spielt Klavier. Roger, der ältere Bruder spielt Akkordeon und betreibt heute den Laden/Musikschule. Zuerst lernte Marcel Lüscher Trompete und Schlagzeug. Mit 12 Jahren wechselte er dann zur Klarinette und später zum Saxophon. Ein prägendes Erlebnis für den jungen Musiker war die Teilnahme am Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, USA, wo er zusammen mit vielen anderen jungen Musikerinnen und Musikern in den Genuss von Kursen mit hochkarätigen Dozierenden kam. Zurück in der Schweiz absolvierte er sein Musikstudium an der Musikhochschule Basel. Später leistete er Dienst in der Big Band des Schweizer Armeespiels unter der Leitung von Pepe Lienhard.  «Yum Yum Yum» hiess seine Band (u.a. mit seinem Bruder Thomas an den Tasten) mit der er zwei Alben veröffentlichte und zahlreiche Konzerte im In- und Ausland spielte. Wertvolle musikalische Erfahrungen sammelte Marcel Lüscher weiter beispielsweise auch in Frankreich, wo er mit verschiedenen Chansonniers musizierte.