Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Saxophonist, Sonic Explorer Casey Benjamin Dies at 45
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
Applications for the Michael Brecker International Saxophone Competition are being accepted through March 31.
(Photo: John Sann)Applications for the Michael Brecker International Saxophone Competition are being accepted through March 31.
Brecker, the Grammy-winning saxophonist, passed away in 2007, and the MBISC looks to honor his “generosity, and to assist in providing ballast to deserving careers,” according to the competition’s website.
The preliminary round of competition involves submitting an online application form, furnishing a letter of recommendation and uploading a performance that will be reviewed by a panel of judges. Notification about advancing to the semi-finalist round will be sent by May 15.
Both the semi-final and final rounds of the competition are set to be held Aug. 25–27 at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat, Israel.
“My goal is that this competition not only keeps the legacy of a once-in-a-generation musician alive, but also the memory of the kind and generous soul that was Michael Brecker,” said saxophonist Eli Degibri, artistic director of the festival.
If an applicant is selected as one of the eight semi-finalists, airfare, hotel accommodations and a per diem for four nights will be provided. The first-place winner will be awarded $12,500; the second-place finisher will receive $7,500; and the third-place winner will take home $2,500.
The fee to enter is $75.
For additional information, visit the competition’s website. DB
Benjamin possessed a fluid, round sound on the alto saxophone, and he was often most recognizable by the layers of electronic effects that he put onto the instrument.
Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
“He’s constructing intelligent musical sentences that connect seamlessly, which is the most important part of linear playing,” Charles McPherson said of alto saxophonist Sonny Red.
Feb 27, 2024 1:40 PM
“I might not have felt this way 30 to 40 years ago, but I’ve reached a point where I can hear value in what people…
Albert “Tootie” Heath (1935–2024) followed in the tradition of drummer Kenny Clarke, his idol.
Apr 5, 2024 10:28 AM
Albert “Tootie” Heath, a drummer of impeccable taste and time who was the youngest of three jazz-legend brothers…
“Both of us are quite grounded in the craft, the tradition and the harmonic sense,” Rosenwinkel said of his experience playing with Allen. “Yet I felt we shared something mystical as well.”
Mar 12, 2024 11:42 AM
“There are a few musicians you hear where, as somebody once said, the molecules in the room change. Geri was one of…
Henry Threadgill performs with Zooid at Big Ears in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Apr 9, 2024 11:30 AM
Big Ears, the annual four-day music celebration that first took place in 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee, could well be…
