Introduction When I was in high school, I attended the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshop and discovered Eric Alexander. I remember picking up his CD Eric Alexander: Alexander the Great at the workshop, and I haven’t stopped checking out his discography ever since. Recently, I was able to connect with Eric to learn more about his [read more…]
Introduction It’s always exciting when you stumble on a player you hadn’t heard of before. Recently, when I was checking out the Chris Jazz Cafe live stream showcasing the Tim Brey Quintet, I discovered Jonathan Ragonese. After doing some further research, I didn’t realize how many players Jonathan has played with, his number of compositions, [read more…]
Introduction When it comes to a modern player who has been developing his own sound while also capturing so much of the essence of Trane, I think of Ben Solomon. Since seeing videos of Ben playing through his various etude books, I reached out to Ben who was nice enough to sit down with me [read more…]
Introduction Steve Wilson is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist that if you are into playing or listening to the alto saxophone, you have definitely heard of. With Steve celebrating the release of his latest album “ENDURING SONANCE“ out on Smoke Session Records on May 1, 2026 I had the opportunity to sit down with him to [read more…]
Introduction I remember seeing Tim play at Jamey Aebersold’s jazz camp when I was in high school, and have been following his playing ever since. Luckily, I was recently able to see Tim play at Jazz Chez Hanny in San Francisco and Tim was nice enough to meet with me to further share his story [read more…]
Miguel Zenón is not just a saxophonist—he’s a musical storyteller, a visionary artist who has spent his career blending the rich traditions of his Puerto Rican heritage with the spirit of jazz. A Grammy Award winner, Zenón has redefined modern jazz, infusing it with deep cultural narratives and technical mastery that have captivated audiences worldwide. [read more…]
Introduction When searching for a new mouthpiece, there are quite a few options to consider. One main question that comes to mind is: “Do I buy a new mouthpiece or consider getting my current mouthpiece or backup refaced?” As there are more mouthpieces on the market than ever before, there has also been more buzz [read more…]
Introduction I remember first hearing about Steve Slagle when I was at Jamey Aebersold summer jazz workshop and saw guitarist Dave Stryker playing at the camp. When I was checking out Dave’s C.D.’s and found a few YouTube clips, I noticed Dave was playing with this alto player I hadn’t heard of before but really [read more…]
Introduction I have been a fan of Loren Stillman’s playing for quite some time. Recently, I saw Loren posting more videos on Instagram of himself playing tenor – an instrument which I didn’t know he played – and sharing some great practice ideas everyone could benefit from as well as additional content on his Patreon. [read more…]
Introduction After returning from NAMM 2024, I was approached by Jennine Peter at 82 Rogue about checking out Kirsten Edkins’ new album Shapes & Sound. Kirsten Edkins is a saxophonist, composer, and educator based in L.A., and in this conversation, she shares more about her story, from starting on the saxophone, to studying at Eastman, [read more…]
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