The Boss Baritones

Inspired by the rich history of the great 2-tenor pairings in jazz (think Lester Young& Herschel Evans, Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt, Lockjaw Davis & JohnnyGriffin, and Al Cohn & Zoot Sims), the Boss Baritones continue this tradition, butwith the pairing of the tenor saxophones lower pitched baritone brethren.So who are these Boss Baritones? Locking horns in the front line are two oftodays finest exponents and practitioners of the baritone saxophone in jazz: GarySmulyan and Frank Basile.Gary Smulyan has been steadily polishing his craft for over 40 years and is all butunanimously regarded as todays leading baritone saxophonist. Since filling thebaritone chair in Woody Hermans Young Thundering Herd in 1978, Smulyan hasgone on to perform with virtually every important name in jazz since. A samplingof this lofty company includes the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, the Gene HarrisSuperband, B.B. King, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Michel Camilo, theCarnegie Hall Jazz Band, Cedar Walton, Joe Lovano, George Coleman, the MingusBig Band, and Dave Holland. A favorite of critics and peers alike, Smulyan hasconsistently topped polls in Downbeat, Jazz Times, and with the Jazz JournalistsAssociation for the past two decades. Smulyan is a 6-time Grammy winner.Frank Basile made his way on to the New York scene in 2001 after his studies atthe University of North Texas and a brief stint at the Juilliard School. He has sinceforged his own path following in the footsteps of his mentors such as Smulyan.Dubbed a prized sideman by The New Yorker, Basile has been called upon toperform with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band,the Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Bob Mintzer Big Band, the Jon Faddis JazzOrchestra, the Christian McBride Big Band, the Count Basie Orchestra, and theDuke Ellington Orchestra. As a rising star, Basile has consistently appeared inthe Downbeat critics poll since 2014.The Boss Baritones made their debut the weekend of March 6-7, 2020 at SmallsJazz Club in New York City. This was an auspicious start for the band, but oneweek later, the Coronavirus pandemic would officially put it all on hold. Since theeasing of restrictions and the return of normal aspects to life, the Boss Baritoneshave been regaining their momentum with performances in the New York City area(including numerous return engagements at Smalls) as well as an upcomingeponymous debut recording on Steeplechase Records.

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