Invented in the early 1840s, the saxophone was a relative latecomer to music—and to jazz. But starting in the mid-1920s, with the rise of the big bands, the instrument slowly but steadily evolved from ...

What happens when all your European and North American concerts and tours fall through because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic? For alto saxophone great Charles McPherson, there have been ...

SMOKE Jazz Club has unveiled its line-up for the month of February 2026. Joe Lovano, one of the world's most celebrated ...

Originally consisting of saxophonists David Murray, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and Hamiet Bluiett, the World Saxophone Quartet is one of the finest and most unusual small combos in jazz today. The ...

As a high school student in Massachusetts, Sarah Hanahan didn't like her academic classes. In fact, she admits, "I just hated school. I always knew, like, 'I can't do this. This just isn't me.'" "It's ...

John Gunther teaches our jazz saxophone majors, including BM, MM and DMA students. At all levels, Gunther works with his students to develop and maintain a solid foundation in the physical aspects of ...

Anytime a discussion of jazz saxophone takes place, a handful of names invariably crop up, even from those only vaguely familiar with the form. And there’s a good reason for that: While there have ...

Peggy Gilbert, a noted jazz saxophonist and bandleader who for decades led all-women ensembles in hot jazz, a daring venture when she began her career more than 80 years ago, died Feb. 12 in Los ...

Jimmy Heath, a prolific saxophonist, composer and bandleader who played alongside some of the biggest names of jazz, including Miles Davis and John Coltrane, has died. Heath died Sunday morning in ...