Origin St. Louis, Missouri Name Chris Cheek Years active 1992 – Current | Instruments Saxophone | |
Born September 16, 1968 (age 56) ( 1968-09-16 ) Role Bandleader · chrischeek.net Albums Reeds Ramble, Plujazz, Play Monk and Powell, Flight of the Blue Jay, The Bloomdaddies | ||
Occupation(s) Musician, Bandleader | ||
Vlog paul motian chris potter chris cheek
Chris Cheek (born September 16, 1968) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has worked as a sideman on more than sixty albums in his career, and has been bandleader of four critically acclaimed solo albums.
Contents
- Vlog paul motian chris potter chris cheek
- Chris cheek med rare part 2 9
- Biography
- As leader
- As sideman
- References
Chris cheek med rare part 2 9
Biography
Cheek was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. His early love of music was encouraged; his father was the director of a Junior high school band, and Cheek began learning to play the alto saxophone at age twelve. Upon graduation from high school, Cheek attended Webster University. Upon receiving a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, he studied there under Joe Viola, Hal Crook, and Herb Pomeroy, and earned his bachelor's degree. He moved to New York City in 1992, where he has played with Paul Motian, Guillermo Klein, Seamus Blake, Stephan Crump, Mika Pohjola, David Berkman, and Jen Chapin.
His debut release as a leader, I Wish I Knew, appeared in 1997 and featured Kurt Rosenwinkel, and by 2010, three more solo albums with Cheek as bandleader on the Fresh Sound label followed; A Girl Named Joe (1997), Vine (1999), and Blues Cruise, in 2005. Cheek has appeared on more than sixty albums as a session musician.
Unlike many of his contemporaries he regularly makes extensive use of electronic effects on his saxophone, for example in the CDs by the Bloomdaddies or Rudder.
As leader
As sideman
With Burak Bedikyan
With Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra
With Guillermo Klein and Los Guachos
With Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band