Saxquest is delighted to expand our horizons beyond just the saxophone world and welcome Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts Quartet featuring Terell Stafford on trumpet, Gary Versace on piano, Martin Wind on bass and Grammy Nominated Matt Wilson on drums. They will be giving a jaw-dropping performance/clinic at the Saxquest shop next week on Thursday March 22 starting at 6PM. The setting will be informal and refreshments will be served and of course, as always, its FREE!!!

New York based drummer and Grammy nominee Matt Wilson is one of today’s most celebrated jazz artists. He is universally recognized for his musical and melodic drumming style as well as being a gifted composer, bandleader, producer, and teaching artist. Matt’s positive energy, sense of humor and ability to explore a broad range of musical settings keeps him in constant demand and has helped establish him as a beloved world ambassador for the music.

Matt has been an integral part of bands led by Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, Bob Stewart, Denny Zeitlin, Ron Miles, Marty Ehrlich, Ted Nash, Jane Ira Bloom and Dena DeRose among others. He has performed with many legends of music including Herbie Hancock, Dewey Redman, Andrew Hill, Bobby Hutcherson, Elvis Costello, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, John Zorn, Marshall Allen, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell and Hank Jones. Wilson has appeared on 250 CDs as a sideman and has released 9 as a leader for Palmetto Records as well as co-leading 5 additional releases.

Of course, Terell Stafford, Gary Versace and Martin Wind are all world-class musicians in their own right. Check out more about this outstanding group here:

http://www.mattwilsonjazz.com/music/arts-and-crafts

This is a great opportunity to listen to and talk with some of the hardest working jazz professionals on the scene today. The intensity and sheer musicianship of their performance will inspire and captivate you!

They will also be playing a full performance venue at The Bistro Friday and Saturday night (23th and 24th) with sets at 7:30PM and 9:30PM.

(http://jazzstl.org/experience/artists/matt-wilsons-arts-crafts)

We’re grateful to Jazz St. Louis for making this event possible. After checking out this preview performance/clinic at Saxquest we encourage you to show your support for Jazz St. Louis by also attending their performances at The Bistro.

Also, mark your calendar with the following upcoming Saxquest clinic/performance dates:

– Fri, April 20 (evening TBA) – Lauren Sevian (bari sax)
– Sat, April 21 (1-3PM) ­ Diana Haskell/Audrey Deny (clarinet)
– August TBA – Chip McNeil Quartet

One more great jazz workshop at Saxquest to close out the year!! I’m excited to invite you out to check out Greg Osby this Saturday (Dec 17) at 2PM. As always, the setting will be informal and refreshments will be served.

Not too many musicians can say that they’ve recorded 15 records for Blue Note as a leader. Greg Osby counts himself as one of those musicians. Having been an established player with such notable artists as varied as Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Jackie DeJohnette, Andrew Hill, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jim Hall and Jaki Byard, Osby’s music is a living testament to what great music is all about!

While born right here in St. Louis, Greg has made New York his adopted home since the early 1980’s. Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet and hear a St. Louis native at the top of his game! Greg truly is one of the great jazz players of our time!

I’ve attached a flier with all of the details. Its free and open to the public. Please pass along the flier to all those you feel may be interested.

A special THANKS to P. Mauriat Saxophones for sponsoring this event and I hope to see you out on Saturday at the Saxquest Shop. Remember, our enthusiasm to continue hosting these kinds of events depends on how many people we get coming to check them out. Thanks for your support!!!

Here we go again!!! Another great event this weekend at Saxquest! We’re delighted to be hosting Bob Reynolds. Bob is John Mayer’s saxophone player and an absolute world-class musician! He will be giving a masterclass at the Saxquest shop this Saturday, November 12 starting at 2PM. The setting will be informal and refreshments will be served.

Known to many as John Mayer’s saxophone player, Bob Reynolds is a prolific composer, busy sideman, and critically acclaimed recording artist. His 2006 album “Can’t Wait for Perfect” was voted Best Debut in the Village Voice’s jazz poll and called “some of the freshest, most compelling, and most soulful music I have ever heard” by jazz luminary Joshua Redman.

A graduate of Boston’s Prestigious Berkley College of Music, Reynolds has received 4 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Awards, played in the house band for NBC’s Bonnie Hunt Show, and appeared in a wide range of situations, spanning multiple genres, as a sideman and featured soloist. Michael Buble, Nellie McKay, Guy Sebastian, Richard Bona, Tom Harrell and Brian Blade are just a few of the talents he’s shared the stage and studio with. After a decade in New York, he currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

He’s well know for his dedication to jazz education and has created a great course of study used by many of aspiring jazz artists all over the country.

We’re grateful to P. Mauriat Saxophones for making this event possible. Be sure to check out more about Bob on his web site at http://bobreynoldsmusic.com.

Also, mark your calendar with the following upcoming Saxquest clinic/performance dates:
– December 17 (3PM) – Greg Osby
– Feburary 2012 (exact time TBA) – Diana Haskell clarinet workshop
– Spring Semester 2012 TBA – Chip McNeil Quartet

We’re delighted to be hosting Sherman Irby and his quartet from New York. They will be giving a blazing performance/clinic at the Saxquest shop on Wednesday October 26 starting at 7PM. The setting will be informal and refreshments will be served.

Sherman Irby (Blue Note & Black Warrior Records) is a member of the esteemed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis. He has also recorded and toured with Marcus Roberts, participated in the incomparable Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead Program, had a four year stint with Roy Hargrove starting in 1997 and was a member of the final ensemble of the peerless Elvin Jones in 2004. For the past several years he has been putting much of his energies into his own groups and currently performs with his quartet and his newly formed group, Organomics.

This is a great opportunity to listen to and talk with some of the hardest working jazz professionals on the scene today. The intensity and sheer musicianship of their performance will inspire and captivate you! In addition to Sherman on saxophone, you will hear Dan Nimmer (piano), Ali Jackson (drums) and Dezron Douglass (bass). Also, they will be playing a full performance venue at The Bistro Friday and Saturday night (27th and 28th) with sets at 7:30PM and 9:30PM (http://jazzstl.org/experience/artists/sherman-irby-quartet-2).

We’re grateful to Jazz St. Louis for making this event possible. After checking out this performance/clinic at Saxquest we encourage you to show your support for Jazz St. Louis by also attending their performances at The Bistro.

Also, mark your calendar with the following upcoming Saxquest clinic/performance dates:

– November 13 (3PM) – Bob Reynolds (John Mayer’s sax player)
– December 17 (3PM) – Greg Osby
– Spring Semester TBA – Chip McNeil Quartet