Gary Smulyan
Encyclopedia
Gary Smulyan is a jazz
musician who plays baritone saxophone
. He studied at SUNY before working with Woody Herman
. He currently leads a trio with bassist Ray Drummond
and drummer Kenny Washington
.
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, 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 Downbeat Readers and Critics polls.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician who plays baritone saxophone
Baritone saxophone
The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
. He studied at SUNY before working with Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
. He currently leads a trio with bassist Ray Drummond
Ray Drummond
Ray Drummond is a jazz bassist and teacher. He also has an MBA from Stanford University, hence his linkage to the Stanford Jazz Workshop...
and drummer Kenny Washington
Kenny Washington (musician)
Kenny Washington is a jazz drummer born in Staten Island, New York.He studied at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts...
.
Smulyan is also the current baritone saxophonist with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and played with its previous incarnation, the Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis was an American drummer, jazz musician and band leader. He was born Melvin Sokoloff in Buffalo, New York to Russian immigrant parents....
Big Band. He also plays baritone saxophone with the Dave Holland
Dave Holland
Dave Holland is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for 40 years....
Big Band and Octet, and the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, and he has performed and recorded with Carla Bley
Carla Bley
Carla Bley, née Borg, is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and band leader. An important figure in the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill , as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other...
's Big Band.
Smulyan's biggest influence is Pepper Adams
Pepper Adams
Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III was a jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 43 pieces, was the leader on twenty albums, and participated in 600 sessions as a sideman.-Biography:...
. When Adams died, Smulyan recorded an album entitled Homage, 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
South Hadley, Massachusetts
South Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,514 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He and his wife, pianist and conductor Joan Cornachio, live with their family in nearby Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
.
Smulyan has consistently been ranked as the Number 1 baritone saxophone player in the annual Downbeat Readers and Critics polls.