Also known as ~G~ Name George Garzone Occupation(s) Musician, educator | Years active 1959–present | |
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Labels Resolution Records, Northeastern Records Associated acts The Fringe,The Ayn Inserto Jazz OrchestraTravelin' Hellhound Role Educator · georgegarzone.com Albums Night of My Beloved, Quintonic, The Fringe In New York Similar People | ||
A neon jazz interview with journeyman jazz saxophonist educator george garzone
George Garzone (born September 23, 1950) is a saxophonist and jazz educator residing in Boston.
Contents
- A neon jazz interview with journeyman jazz saxophonist educator george garzone
- George garzone playing blues and killin it
- Biography
- Critical reception
- Discography
- With others
- Performances with prominent artists
- Notable students
- References
Saxophonist George Garzone is a member of the Fringe, a jazz trio founded in 1972 that includes bassist John Lockwood and drummer Bob Gullotti. The group has released several albums. Garzone has appeared on over 20 recordings. He began on the tenor saxophone when he was six, played in a family band and attended music school in Boston. He has guested in many situations, touring Europe with Jamaaladeen Tacuma and performing with Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, Jack DeJohnette, Rachel Z, Bob Weir and Ratdog, and John Patitucci.

George garzone playing blues and killin it
Biography
Garzone is also a jazz educator, teaching at the Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, Longy School of Music, New York University and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He has pioneered the triadic chromatic approach and students of his have included Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, Mindi Abair, Teadross Avery, Luciana Souza, Mark Turner, Donny McCaslin, Doug Yates, Danilo Pérez, and Axel Camil Hachadi.
In 1995 he recorded a tribute to Stan Getz on NYC Records called Alone: Four's and Two's followed a year later with Joe Lovano which earned him four stars in Down Beat, and in 1999 Garzone returned with Moodiology. Fringe in New York was released in summer 2000. He is a member of the Grammy-winning Joe Lovano Nonet, and performed and recorded with this group at the Village Vanguard in September 2002.
He has performed with the Fringe, Kenny Barron, Harvie Swartz, Dan Gottlieb, John Patitucci, Bill Stewart, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Tom Harrell, Don Alias, Danilo Pérez, Lenny White, Joe Lovano, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Gary Peacock, Dennis Chambers, Anton Fig, Cecil McBee, Dave Holland, Stanley Cowell, Bob Moses, and Dave Liebman.
Critical reception
Reviews of Four's and Two's:
"...Part of the fun is contrasting Garzone's and Lovano's approaches to the material, made up largely of Garzone compositions and vehicles for blowing...Listeners who investigate Four's and Two's, to hear Lovano will carry away a new or renewed appreciation of Garzone's strengths as well..."
"This is an aggressive recording...But the aggressive character lies not so much in aggression as in a joyful refusal to let any element of the music stand unchallenged..."
"In George Garzone's case, Coltrane has never been far afield from his own voice. With his band (of 25 years), the Fringe, he exercised the more free improvisational aspects of Coltrane. As a sideman to Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, George Russell, Gunther Schuller, Rachel Z, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Hart, and even Jamaaladeen Tacuma I always heard the Coltrane spirit in his playing. Garzone has always possessed an expansive warm tone that moves from inside to out-jazz with relative ease. Like Trane, his music resonates from what must be a warm and beautiful soul." –Mark Corroto, allaboutjazz.com
Discography
As a leader
With The Fringe
With others
Performances with prominent artists
Saxophonists: George Adams, Jerry Bergonzi (NEC Faculty), Michael Brecker, Kenny Brooks, Claire Daly, Kenny Garrett, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Tony Malaby, Joshua Redman, James Spaulding, Stan Strickland, Frank Tiberi, Steve Wilson
Trumpet players: Randy Brecker, Tom Harrell, Eddie Henderson, Ingrid Jensen, John McNeil (NEC Faculty), Tiger Okoshi, Herb Pomeroy (Berklee Faculty), Barry Ries Trombonists: Bob Brookmeyer (NEC Faculty), Hal Crook
Pianists: Kenny Barron, Ran Blake (NEC Faculty), Joanne Brackeen, Jaki Byard, Joey Calderazzo, Chick Corea, Stanley Cowell, David Kikoski, Bevan Manson, John Medeski, (NEC Alum), Alan Pasqua, Danilo Pérez (NEC Faculty), Kenny Werner, Rachel Z (NEC Alum)
Guitarists: John Abercombrie, Mick Goodrick, Chuck Loeb, Ben Monder (NEC Faculty), Wolfgang Muthspiel, Martin Taylor, Barry Wedgle, David White
Drummers/Percussionists: Don Alias, Jeff Ballard, Brian Blade, Gary Chaffee (NEC faculty), Dennis Chambers, Jack DeJohnette, Peter Erskine, Al Foster, Bob Gullotti, Billy Hart, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Mel Lewis, Mike Mainieri (Vibes), Rakalam Bob Moses, Buddy Rich, Mickey Roker, George Schuller (NEC Alum), Steve Smith, Jerry Steinhilber, Bill Stewart, Lenny White, Can Kozlu
Bassists: Ron Carter, Ray Drummond, Eddie Gómez, Larry Grenadier, Dave Holland (former NEC Faculty), Dennis Irwin, Marc Johnson, John Lockwood (NEC Faculty), Cecil McBee, Christian McBride, John Patitucci, Gary Peacock, Ed Schuller (NEC Alum), Harvie S, Miroslav Vitous (former NEC Faculty), Reggie Workman
Composers/Conductors: Gil Evans, Gunther Schuller, Lello Molinari
Ensembles: The Carla Bley Big Band, Gil Evans Orchestra, The Fringe (with John Lockwood and Bob Gullotti), George Russell and the In Living Time Orchestra, The Joe Lovano Nonet, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Orange Then Blue, The Woody Herman Band
Non-jazz artists: Aerosmith, Musica Viva (Tribute to Kurt Weill), The Dells, Extreme, Aretha Franklin, Engelbert Humperdinck (singer), Tom Jones, Gladys Knight, Liberace, New Kids on the Block, Elvis Presley, The Temptations, Rodney Dangerfield, Ratdog
Notable students
Saxophone/Woodwinds: Teodross Avery, Seamus Blake, Kenny Brooks, Chris Cheek, Dino Govoni, Brian Landrus, Branford Marsalis, Donny McCaslin, Bill McHenry, Andrew Rathbun, Joshua Redman, Eric Rasmussen, Scott Robinson, Walter Smith III, Chris Speed, Marcus Strickland, Mark Turner, Ken Vandermark, Doug Yates Bruce Barth, piano, Damian Draghici, pan flute, Danilo Perez, piano, Antonio Sanchez, drums, Luciana Souza, voice, John Sullivan, bass, Chris Wood, bass, Manuel Valero, piano, Norm Zocher, guitar Christopher Crocco guitar