ByrneWorks

Authentic original artistry in jazz saxophones and flute. I play the classic repertoire from Duke Ellington up through Wyane Shorter but also compose heavily and perform all original concerts and my CD's are nearly all originals. My tastes are eclectic and include Joe Henderson style acoustic jazz, Grover Washington Jr. and Dave Valentine style smooth jazz and fusion, Ralph Towner and Paul Winter style acoustic new age jazz, Rebirth style New Orleans brass band jazz, Steely Dan style jazz-rock fusion, Santana and Osibisa world-rock fusion. My compositions include rap and country. I play with a great number of musicians and a few regular groups and I often tailor the band to the performance at hand, anywhere from solo, duo, trio, on up. I sing my own songs and a few standards (including modern standards aka pop / rock) but bring dedicated vocalists when the occasion calls. I enjoy multimedia collaborations with dancers, poets, visual artists, dramatists, and yoga sessions. I am happy to work with you to fit into a situation, create a certain vibe, and even learn a few of your favorite songs, but I am not commercial copycat. Even when I play Santana or Steely Dan compositions, do my own thing with them. If you want a cover band, call a cover band; if you want an original, soulful, truly heartfelt arist, please consider calling me. Thank you!

Background: Music education from early childhood, jazz singer mom, 1 year at Oberlin with Floyd 'Candy' Johnson of Count Basie's band, 5 years studying and performing with Jaki Byard in NY, worked with Jimmy Ponder, Tony Campbell, Nelson Harrison in Pittsburgh, worked with Sid Simmons, Mike Boone, Adam Faulk and John Blake Jr in Philly. I've performed with Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, Shannon Powell, Henry Butler, and James Rivers in New Orleans. I've performed with Jimmy Burns in Chicago. In L.A., I've performed with guitarist Robby Krieger of The Doors, Arthur Barrow and Sal Marquez of Frank Zappa's band, Eurythmics keyboardist Ed Roth, and my daughter Aeb, a rising indie rock artist. I collaborate regularly with Ghanian percussionist Okyerema Asante (Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac, Hugh Masekela.) I've collaborated and recorded extensively with Ronnie Burrage in NY and central PA, and also recorded with Duane Eubanks, Jeremy Bacon, Adam Faulk, Marvin Horne, Greg Bandy, Stanley Banks, Sid Simmons Mike Boone, Tom Jordan, Eric Ian Farmer, Noah Figlin and Junior Tutwiler.

Find my music on Facebook and Reverbnation.

I enjoy connecting with people and spreading good energy and receiving good energy back from the audience. Being a musician is like being a catalyst for an emtional experience shared among the band the audience. The audience and band together can make a bonfire, I am just a match. Party music helps people party, meditative music helps people meditate, elegant music helps people be elegant, roots music helps people get back to the basics of being human, the blues help people process their sorrows. The best performances are interactive; I start to play (or we, in the case of a band) and the audience response influences what we play next and the audience and the band conjur a vibe together.