Alexa Tarantino
Alexa Tarantino (born May 30th, 1992 in West Hartford, Connecticut, United States) is an American jazz saxophonist, woodwind doubler, composer and educator.
The New York Times called Tarantino's playing “lovely, ardent way of improvising,” and “sharply plotted but gracefully unencumbered straight-ahead jazz.”[1]
She has performed, toured, and/or recorded with the likes of Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra[2], Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra[3], Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Wynton Marsalis Septet, Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Cecile McLorin Salvant’s Ogresse, Cecile McLorin Salvant Quintet[4], Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Generation Y, Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Big Band, Birdland Big Band, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Ben Vereen Big Band, Verve Jazz Ensemble, Essentially Ellington Alumni Band, Charlie Rosen’s Broadway Big Band, Kurt Elling’s “The Big Blind”, New Alchemy Jazz Orchestra, Christian McBride Big Band, Earth Wind and Fire, Jason Robert Brown with Wayne Brady, Andy Farber, Sweet Charity with Sutton Foster, Maurice Hine’s Tappin Thru Life and the American Ballet Theatre’s Dream within a Dream. [5] [6]
Venues include the Hollywood Bowl, the Kimmel Center of Performing Arts, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Village Vanguard, the Rose Theater, Appel Room, and Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Flushing Town Hall, Birdland Jazz Club, Birdland Theater, The Jazz Standard, The Django, The Jazz Gallery, The Woodstock Playhouse, The Pershing Square Signature Theater, 54 Below, Levine Center for the Arts, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Shalin Liu Performance Center, Symphony Space, New York City Center, Phoenix Concert Center (Toronto), Angrajazz (Portugal), David H. Koch Theater, NJPAC Victoria Theater, Subculture, Lincoln Center Bruno Walter Auditorium, Brevard Arts Center, The Cutting Room, Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Performing Arts, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, .
Major festivals include Jazz at Marciac Festival with the Wynton Marsalis Septet (Marciac, France), Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, Times Square, Beavercreek Weekend of Jazz, Playboy Jazz Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival, Rockport Jazz Festival, Elmhurst Jazz Festival, Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival, Eau Claire Jazz Festival, Casita Maria Summer Jazz Festival, Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, Metuchen Jazz Festival, Luminato Festival.
JazzTimes Critics’ Poll named Tarantino one of the "Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019."[7] Tarantino's debut album, “Winds of Change” released with Posi-Tone Records in 2019, reached #15 on the JazzWeek charts and #79 on the 2019 JazzWeek Top 100[8]. The personnel on this album include Ulysses Owens Jr. (drums), Christian Sands (piano), Joe Martin (bass), featuring Nick Finzer (trombone).[9][10][11] [12][13]
| Release Year | Title | Artist | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Colossus | Colossus Large Ensemble | Independent | Alto Saxophone, Clarinet |
| 2015 | Crossing Paths | Dariuzs Terenfenko | Infinite Records | Composer "Crossing Paths," "Final Breath," Co-Arranger, Alto Saxophone |
| 2017 | Diva: 25th Anniversary | Sherrie Maricle & The DIVA Jazz Orchestra | Artist Share | Alto and Soprano Saxophones, Composer/Arranger/Featured Soloist "Square One," Featured soloist "Seesaw" |
| 2017 | Diva + The Boys | Sherrie Maricle & The DIVA Jazz Orchestra | MCG Jazz | Lead Alto and Soprano Saxophones, Flute, Clarinet, Feature Soloist |
| 2018 | Fandango at the Wall: A Soundtrack for the United States, Mexico, and Beyond | Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra | Resilience Music Alliance | Alto and Soprano Saxophones, Flute |
| 2018 | Bliss | Lauren Sevian ft. Christian McBride | Posi-Tone Records | Composer "Square One," Alto Saxophone |
| 2018 | Connect the Dots | The Verve Jazz Ensemble | Lightgroove Media | Alto saxophone, Flute |
| 2019 | Maximum Enjoyment | Something Blue | Posi-Tone Records | Alto Saxophone, Composer/Arranger "Breeze" |
| 2019 | Pride & Joy | Lioness[14] | Posi-Tone Records | Alto Saxophone, Composer/arranger "Hurry Up and Wait" |
| 2019 | Analog Dreams | Chris Teal Trio | Outside-In Music | Alto Saxophone |
| 2019 | Winds of Change | Alexa Tarantino Quartet | Posi-Tone Records | Composer/arranger, Alto and soprano saxophones, Alto flute |
| 2019 | Night Mode | The Verve Jazz Ensemble | Lightgroove Media | Alto Saxophone, Alto Flute |
| 2020 | Reach Within | Works for Me | Posi-Tone Records | Alto Saxophone |
| 2020 | Tales of Wonder: A Celebration of Stevie | Posi-Tone Records Collective | Posi-Tone Records | Alto Saxophone [Track One Only] |
| 2020 | Clarity | Alexa Tarantino Quartet | Posi-Tone Records | Composer/arranger, alto and soprano saxophones, flute and alto flute |
Education
Tarantino graduated from the award-winning music program at Hall High School in West Hartford, CT. She graduated from The Eastman School of Music in 2014, studying with Chien-Kwan Lin, Charles Pillow, and Dariusz Terefenko. Tarantino obtained bachelor's degrees in Jazz Saxophone Performance and Music Education, with a certificate in Arts Leadership. In 2019, Tarantino graduated from The Juilliard School with a master's degree in Jazz Studies studying with Dan Block, Ben Wolfe, and Frank Kimbrough. In 2014, Tarantino founded the Rockport Jazz Workshop[15] in Rockport, MA which she serves as current Director. She also co-founded the online summer jazz workshop A Step Ahead Jazz[16].[17][18][19]
Awards and Endorsements
Tarantino is an artist on the Posi-Tone Records label. She is endorsed by Bam Cases[20], is a Vandoren Artist[21] and Yamaha Performing Artist[22]. Tarantino is represented by Birdland Artists.[23]
References
- ↑ "12 Pop, Rock and Jazz Concerts to Check Out in N.Y.C. This Weekend". The New York Times. 2019-05-23. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
- ↑ "Alexa Tarantino". wyntonmarsalis.org. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "Square One Arrangement". The DIVA Jazz Orchestra. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner at Village Vanguard". www.americanpianists.org. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ Tauss, Lucy. "Alexa Tarantino Leads Charge for a More Inclusive Jazz Scene". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ Kamins, Richard B. (2019-05-28). "Step Tempest: Saxophonists Take Center Stage + Two Collectives". Step Tempest. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ JazzTimes. "2019 Expanded Critics' Poll Results - JazzTimes Magazine". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
- ↑ "Year End". JazzWeek. 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
- ↑ Chinen, Nate. "Take Five: Sharp New Music by David Sanchez, Ryan Keberle, Matt Mitchell & Alexa Tarantino". www.wbgo.org. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "Alexa Tarantino Juggles the Jazz Life". downbeat.com. 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "Jazz Woodwind Player Alexa Tarantino Impresses on 'Winds of Change'". PopMatters. 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ Jazz, All About. "Alexa Tarantino: Winds of Change album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ Jazz, All About. "Alexa Tarantino: Winds of Change album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "12 Women Influencing the Future of Jazz". pastemagazine.com. 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ Blagg, Chris. "Rockport Music – Jazz Workshop". Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "A Step Ahead Jazz". A Step Ahead Jazz. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "22 Outstanding Eastman Women for 2020". Eastman School of Music. 2020-03-06. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ Desk, BWW News. "New Online Series By Rising Star Alexa Tarantino Premieres Live 5/7". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "A Day in the Life of a Jazz Musician at The Juilliard School". www.juilliard.edu. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "LE MAGAZINE". bamcases. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "Alexa Tarantino". Dansr. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "Alexa Tarantino | Yamaha Artists". www.yamaha.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ↑ "Birdland Artists". Birdland Artists. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
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