Gary Smulyan
| Gary Smulyan | |
|---|---|
|
Joe Temperley and Gary Smulyan | |
| Background information | |
| Born | April 4, 1956 |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | baritone saxophone |
| Years active | late 1970s—present |
| Website | http://www.garysmulyan.com/ |
in Aarhus, Denmark
Photo Hreinn Gudlaugsson
Gary Smulyan (born on April 4, 1956 in Bethpage, New York) is a jazz musician who plays baritone saxophone. He studied at Hofstra University before working with Woody Herman. He currently leads a trio with bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Kenny Washington.[1]
Smulyan is also the current baritone saxophonist with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and played with its previous incarnation, the Mel Lewis Big Band. He also plays baritone saxophone with the Dave Holland Big Band and Octet, and the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, and he has performed and recorded with Carla Bley's Big Band.
Smulyan's biggest influence is Pepper Adams. When Adams died, Smulyan recorded an album entitled Homage,[2] which featured eight pieces composed by Adams. He has recorded additional albums for Criss Cross Jazz, as well as Reservoir Records, including the critically acclaimed "High Noon: The Jazz Soul of Frankie Laine," featuring arrangements by Mark Masters.
Since 2006, Smulyan has served as artistic director at the Berkshire Hills Music Academy in South Hadley, Massachusetts. He and his wife, pianist and conductor Joan Cornachio, live with their family in nearby Amherst.
Smulyan has consistently been ranked as the Number 1 baritone saxophone player in the annual Down Beat Readers and Critics polls. He is considered the standard bearer of his generation for the baritone saxophone.
Discography
- 1991: The Lure of Beauty (Criss Cross), with Jimmy Knepper, Mulgrew Miller
- 1991: Homage (Criss Cross) with Tommy Flanagan, Ray Drummond
- 1993: Saxophone Mosaic (Criss Cross) with Dick Oatts
- 1996: With Strings (Criss Cross)
- 1997: Roots (Astor Place) with Cedar Walton
- 1999: Blue Suite (Criss Cross) with Bob Stewart, John Clark
- 2000: 52nd Street Themes (Blue Note) with Joe Lovano
- 2002: The Real Deal (Reservoir Records) with Joe Magnarelli, Mike LeDonne, Dennis Irwin, Kenny Washington
- 2012: Smul's Paradise (Capri) with Mike LeDonne, Peter Bernstein, Kenny Washington
- 2013: Bella Napoli (Capri) with Dominic Chianese, Gary Versace, Joseph Brent, Martin Wind, and Matt Wilson
With Gerald Wilson
- In My Time (Mack Avenue, 2005)
- Legacy (Mack Avenue, 2011)
References
- ↑ Down Beat Artists Profile
- ↑ Smulyan, Gary. Homage. Criss Cross Records B0000020MS. 1991