Welcome to the mainstream! The baritone saxophonists here have all studied the masters and are fluent in the language of bop and the periods that followed in the 50s and 60s. This type of Jazz is by far the most celebrated and widespread form.
Pepper Adams
Gary Carner has put together a wonderful online repository of knowledge for Pepper Adams. You can check it out at http://www.pepperadams.com!October 8, 1930 - September 10, 1986 Pepper Adams was one of the all-time great baritonists, ranking at the top with Harry Carney, Serge Chaloff and Gerry Mulligan. But Mulligan overshadowed Adams throughout virtually his...
Ronnie Cuber
December 25, 1941 - October 7, 2022 From Ronnie's website: If you research back to the George Benson Cookbooks “66” “67” on Columbia, Which have already been released on CD, You'll find a young, early twenties baritone saxophone master. As you listen to this keep in mind that Benson and Cuber had this as a...
Bob Centano
Bio from Bob's Website: The Chicago Connection Bob Centano a native Chicagoan entered the world of music in the early 1950s...while still in high school was very active as musician and bandleader... during and after college toured with some of the great bands of the big band era...including the bands of Tex Beneke,Les and Larry...
Charles Davis
May 20, 1933 - July 15, 2016 Although he has performed previously on tenor and alto, Charles Davis is best-known for his fine baritone playing, both as a soloist and for his dependable work in sax sections. Early on he gigged with Sun Ra (off and on from 1954 into the 1980s), Brother Jack McDuff,...
Bruce Johnstone
Bruce Johnstone b.Sept 1st 1943 Wellington New Zealand.Bruce Johnstone's first exposure to American audiences was as a member of Maynard Ferguson's band in 1972. He recorded three albums with the Ferguson Band which, along with live concert appearances placed him in the #3 spot in Down Beat Magazine's Readers Poll behind Gerry Mulligan and Pepper...
Julian Arguelles
Julian began his career as a musician at the age of fourteen touring throughout Europe with the European Community Big Band. Quickly he gained recognition as an original musician and joined the much acclaimed 21 piece UK big band "Loose Tubes". He stayed with them for four years and recorded two albums. Since their demise...
Lisa Parrott
Lisa came to New York in 1993 on an Australian government grant to study with Steve Coleman. Since then in the USA, Lisa has performed with such great musicians as -Dave Brubeck, Diane Schuur, Gregory Hines, Rachel Z, Cindy Blackman, Gunther Schuller, Clifford Barbaro, Denis Charles, DIVA, Rob Reddy's Horn Choir, Kit McClure Big Band,...
Gary Smulyan
Early Gary Smulyan, with the Woody Herman Band, 1979 Bio From Gary's Website: BARITONE SAXOPHONIST GARY Smulyan was born April 4, 1956, in Bethpage, New York. The gifted multi-instrumentalist started his music career by first learning alto saxophone during his teenage years on Long Island. Today he is critically acclaimed across-the-board and recognized as a...
Nick Brignola
July 17, 1936 - February 8, 2002 A strong baritone soloist in the tradition of Pepper Adams, Nick Brignola has long been overshadowed by Adams and Gerry Mulligan but actually ranks near the top. He occasionally doubles on other instruments (soprano, alto and flute). After studying at Ithaca College and Berklee he played and recorded...
Glenn Wilson
For over 30 years, Glenn Wilson has been an active performer and clinician on the jazz baritone sax. The All Music Guide recently described him as "an unsung hero in modern jazz". Glenn Wilson has earned a Masters in Jazz Performance from the University of Illinois and a Bachelors in Music Education from Youngstown State...
Dennis DiBlasio
Bio from Denis' site: After receiving his Masters Degree from the University of Miami, Denis DiBlasio joined the big band of legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, serving as Maynard 's Musical Director for five years. During this time he honed his virtuosity on the baritone saxophone and flute as well as a prodigious scat-vocal technique,...
Kenny Berger
Kenny was Born in NYC Dec 19, 1947. he grew up in brooklyn, and began playing alto in 5th grade, and baritone in Jr High. His first gigs were at Catskill Mountain resorts, in the mid 60's and with "weekend" bands such as as Les & Larry Elgart. He performed first "name" jazz gigs with...
Howard Johnson
August 7, 1941 – January 11, 2021 Bio from Howard's site:One of the top tuba soloists since the early '60s, Howard Johnson is a very versatile player who not only plays tuba and baritone but other reeds and trumpet. He moved to New York in 1963, where he worked with Charles Mingus (1964-1966), Hank Crawford,...
Roger Rosenberg
An A-list baritone man for over three decades, Roger Rosenberg studied at Indiana University, The New England Conservatory of Music, and under the tutelage of players like Phil Woods and composers like Harold Seletsky. He has worked with a stunning list of greats; do the names Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Janet...
Erik Lawrence
Erik Lawrence plays Saxophones and Flutes. He has received a Meet-the-Composer Grant for his music composition. He began playing sax at five years old under the guidance of his father, the late jazz musician, founder of the New School of Jazz in NYC and the International Center for Creative Music Studies in Jerusalem, Rock and...
Jim Hartog
From Jim Hartog: "I have been playing, recording and touring with the 29th Street Saxophone Quartet (with Ed Jackson, Bobby Watson and Willie Williams or Rich Rothenberg) for over 28 years, with more than 7 records and innumerable radio and television appearances throughout Europe, the United States, in Istanbul, Puerto Rico and Canada. My recording...
Aaron Lington
Grammy Award-winning baritone saxophonist and composer Aaron Joseph Lington (b. 1974) received his BM in music education from the University of Houston, Moores School of Music, and both his MM in jazz studies and DMA in saxophone performance from the University of North Texas where he studied with James Riggs. His performing and compositional credits...
Alain Cupper
Alain Cupper was born on the 5th January in Brussels – Belgium (Europe). He is a baritone sax player, composer, arranger, Band leader and teacher. He started his career playing tenor sax. After a classical music background he later dedicated himself to jazz. He attended lessons for three years at “Jazz Studio” in Antwerp and...
Patience Higgins
Saxophone and flute player Patience Higgins was a featured artist on 1998s double Grammy Award winning recording Dee Dee Bridgewaters Dear Ella. Other credits include tour and recording engagements with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Count Bassie Orchestra, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Short, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, The Pointer Sisters and Yoko Ono, among many others. Mr....
Del Dako
1954-2013 From DelDako.com: "As a saxophonist, Del Dako has been a real force on the Canadian jazz scene. In 1995 after the release of his first CD "Balancing Act", onthe Sackville label, he toured nationally winning over fans where ever the band went. In 1998, a second recording"Vindaloo" was made and there was an eighteen...
Dale Fielder
Dale Fielder is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and band leader. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays all four saxophones: soprano, alto, tenor and baritone with equal authority. He is known for his original compositions and choice of performing rare, obscure jazz classics as well as his varied group concepts and variety of presentations. Fielder...
Dave Schumacher
As a freelance Baritone Saxophonist, Chicago native Dave Schumacher has been active on the New York scene for more than the 30 years. As member of Lionel Hampton's Orchestra from 1983 to 1987 he toured the Americas and Europe. He again toured with Hamp in 1988 and 1989. A highlight in Dave's career was traveling...
Gil Melle
A true renaissance man, Gil Melle began his career as a post-bop baritone saxophonist who also composed and painted, later branching out into a wide variety of artistic and scientific fields. He abandoned jazz fairly early on in his career, choosing to compose a number of film and television scores and experiment with electronic music...