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 ...

Every once in a while, a single instrument arrives and rewrites the rules. Not just for music, but for culture itself. Think about it. A strip of brass and a few keys gave birth to jazz. A solid block ...

Of the many members of the saxophone family, the alto and tenor have emerged as its most prominent siblings. From the mid-1920s onward, many big band alto saxophonists have filled a dual role, best ...

A remarkable thing about renowned jazz saxophonist Gary Thomas, founding faculty member and chair of the Jazz Studies Department at the Peabody Institute: he did not touch a saxophone until he was in ...

When tenor saxophonist John Coltrane recorded his composition "Giant Steps" in 1959, he created something that changed the way musicians thought about improvisation and harmony. Decades earlier, the ...

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 ...

Anthony Ortega only performs once a week. But when the 88-year-old saxophone great takes the stage each Sunday evening at Mr. Peabody’s in Encinitas, he often plays for up to three hours at a time ...

America didn’t invent improvisation, but it seems to have held the patent for generations. Even if, as many presume these days, the nation’s democracy is imperiled, its promise of unlimited ...

Grammy-winning saxophonist Joe Lovano is named the 2026 Detroit Jazz Festival Artist-in-Residence, bringing acclaimed ...