Results for "saxophone, tenor"

Nils Berg

Born: October 9, 1977

There is a particular quality to the music Nils Berg makes — something that feels simultaneously ancient and restless, rooted and searching. It is a quality that places him in a long line of Scandinavian artists who have found a way to distill the Nordic landscape and temperament into sound: the lyrical economy of Jan Johansson, the melancholy warmth of Lars Gullin, the way Grieg could make a simple folk melody feel like it carried the weight of an entire geography.

Berg, a saxophonist, bass clarinetist and composer based in Stockholm, works in the space where jazz meets that broader Nordic sensibility — music that breathes slowly, that favors atmosphere and silence as much as notes, and that treats emotion as something to be approached with patience rather than force. Dubbed "the Fellini of Swedish jazz" by Dagens Nyheter and described as "mysterious and irresistible" by Rolling Stone, he has spent two decades building a body of work that is genuinely hard to categorize, and all the more compelling for it.

Charlie Rees

Born: August 3, 2001

Charlie Rees is a British saxophonist and composer-arranger based in Southwest Germany. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, his broad range of skills have seen him build an impressive resume in his young career so far. He has performed alongside internationally renowned artists Richie Beirach, Adam Nussbaum, Alex Sipiagin, Jeff Williams, and the Sirius String Quartet. He regularly collaborates with Russian pianist Regina Litvinova, performing as a duo and in other configurations, and describes his playing as “heavily influenced” by John Coltrane and the post-Coltrane generation of saxophonists.

The Cafe Society

In the 1940s, there was one integrated jazz club in New York City where all the greats played: Café Society in the West Village.

Today, The Café Society is a jazz quintet led by tenor saxophonist Justin Flynn (Nancy Wilson, Randy Brecker) and vocalist Emily Wade Adams. Their NYC-based ensemble collaborates with the city's finest jazz musicians to deliver swinging standards with sophistication and soul.

Collaborators include:

• Piano: Rick Germanson (Cannonball Legacy Band, Elvin Jones, Pat Martino), Jeremy Manasia (Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes), Steve Einerson (Slide Hampton, Brian Lynch)

Sophie Hassfurther

A compelling and adventurous voice in contemporary European jazz and improvised music, Austrian saxophonist Sophie Hassfurther blends deep compositional insight with fearless improvisation. Born near Salzburg in, Hassfurther studied saxophone and flute at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She further expanded her artistic horizons through her involvement in New York’s vibrant music scene. 

Hassfurther’s work is characterised by its wide stylistic reach, bridging jazz, contemporary classical sensibilities, and free improvisation. As a bandleader and composer, she has developed a rich body of original music, from her early ensemble projects to recent large-scale works that situate improvised interplay alongside structured compositional frameworks. Her music has been featured at major festivals and venues across Europe and beyond, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazzfestival Saalfelden, Wien Modern, and Moers Festival. 

Zack Varner

     Multi-instrumentalist and composer Zack Varner remains in constant demand on the stage and in the studio. His quartet has performed at the international Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Santo Domingo Jazz Festivals. In his home city of Austin, Texas, he has performed showcases at the Uplift Jazz Festival and the South by Southwest Music Festival. Varner’s solo album release Blues in the Nude features eleven original compositions and has garnered excellent reviews from several established music critics. The Austin Chronicle’s Jeremy Steinberger writes: “Varner expertly honors tradition with hard bop and swing themes while simultaneously exploring and building on the genre's evolution through tango, bossa nova, and samba-infused textures.

Around About Dusk

Active since: 2018

Around About Dusk blends New Orleans jazz, European folk, roots and blues influences into a captivating, atmospheric sound. Their music weaves enchanting melodies and harmonies that tell stories of wonder, nature, humanity and heartache. With harmonies, macabre humour and familiar folklore tales, they conjure the romance of old cafés, the spirit of New Orleans porches, and the intimacy of campfire songs.

With performances at festivals including Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival, Bristol Folk Festival, and Secret Garden Party, as well as European tours, Around About Dusk brings charm, authenticity, and a distinctive presence to every stage

Hillai Govreen

Hillai Govreen is a clarinetist, saxophonist and composer based in New York. Hillai’s upcoming album Every Other Now is a collaboration with bassist/composer Ben Meigners, and features some notable names of the NY music scene such as Steve Cardenas (guitar), Eric McPherson (drums), Café Da Silva (percussion) among others. The album is set to be released in August 2025 under the Fresh Sound label.

Her previous album “Allusions” (2021) is a duet with pianist Nitsan Kolko. Their duet feature spontaneous musical dialogue and alludes to various ancient fables. In addition, Hillai arranged music for a nonet consisting of strings and woodwinds.  

Robin Porter

ROBIN PORTER is an award-winning saxophonist and composer based in London, renowned for his versatility, musicality and expressive sound. A sought-after instrumentalist, he has performed at many of the UK’s most prestigious venues, captivating audiences with his artistry and individuality.

Robin’s primary creative outler is his contemporary jazz trio ‘Aspyrian’, a dynamic project blending original compositions and improvisation with the sincerity of soulful songwriters and grit of alternative bands. Under his leadership, Aspyrian has released two acclaimed albums, earned two Help Musicians awards, and toured the UK twice, bringing their distinctive sound to stages nationwide.

Andrea Leone

Born: December 24, 1990

Andrea graduated with top honors in classical saxophone from the G.B. Martini Conservatory in Bologna in 2009, and in jazz saxophone with top marks from the G. Puccini Conservatory in La Spezia in 2013. In 2024, he completed a Master’s degree in jazz saxophone at Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam.

He has had the privilege of attending numerous masterclasses in both classical and jazz music with internationally renowned saxophonists such as Fabrice Moretti, Philippe LeCoque, Eugene Rousseau, Gilberto Monetti, George Garzone, Mark Turner, Rick Margitza, Enrico Rava, Greg Hutchinson, Peter Bernstein, Ben Wendel, Miguel Zenon, Pietro Tonolo, Maurizio Giammarco, Greg Osby, Ambrose Akinmusire, Stefano Battaglia, and many others.
In 2014, together with musicians Matteo Patelli (guitar) and Lorenzo Capello (drums), he founded the trio Freak Oil, performing original music composed by Andrea and Matteo. In 2015, the trio was selected as a finalist for the Premio Maletto competition in Milan. In the summer of 2016, they recorded their first album Used Shoes on a New Floor, featuring Danilo Gallo (Orange Home Records).
Since 2014, he has been part of HIC (Hidden Improviser Collective), led by maestro Claudio Lugo, exploring various approaches to free improvisation.
In 2017, he joined the band Marti for the presentation of their third album King of the Minibar, performing in renowned venues in Italy and Berlin.
In September 2017, he moved to Rotterdam to further study saxophone and improvised music at Codarts University for the Arts, under the guidance of musicians such as Tineke Postma, Simon Rigter, Ben van den Dungen, Stefan Lievestro, Tom Beek, Nils van Haften, among others. In Rotterdam, he had the opportunity to play with various bands in jazz clubs across the city and the Netherlands, and to perform with the Codarts Big Band alongside notable artists such as Reinier Baas and Peter Weniger at prominent jazz festivals including November Music (’s-Hertogenbosch) and the Dag van de Rotterdamse Jazz (2018). In 2019, he won second prize with the Codarts Big Band in the Top Class category at the Corendon International Big Band Competition.

Craig Roselieb

Born: September 3, 1961

Craig Roselieb, a 1979 graduate of Downers Grove South High School, completed his Bachelor of Music at Northern Illinois University in Music Education and Saxophone performance in 1984, where he was a 3-year member of the NIU Jazz Ensemble under Ron Modell, and was a winner in the 1983 Concerto Competition on Alto Saxophone as a student of Steve Duke.  He earned his Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from Northwestern University in 1988, where he directed the Symphonic Band and Concert Band under John P. Paynter, and directed Jazz Lab Band and played jazz tenor in the NU Jazz Ensemble with Don Owens.   Mr. Roselieb began his teaching career at Glenbrook North High School from 1984-87, continued teaching at Wheaton Central High School from 1988-90, and joined the District 99 music faculty in 1990. He was appointed Director of Bands at Downers Grove South High School in 1994, and retired in May, 2018 after a 33 year career.  His responsibilities at DGS included conducting the Wind Ensemble, Marching Mustangs, and Jazz Ensemble, as well as co-directing the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band and Concert Band.