GEORGE GARZONE

George Garzone is an American tenor saxophonist and jazz educator from Boston, whose influence on the instrument far exceeds his discography. For more than fifty years he has been a musicians' musician — a player whose sound, harmonic daring and rhythmic freedom have shaped entire generations of saxophonists, most of whom passed through his classroom before they ever heard him on record. He has appeared on over twenty recordings, touring the world and performing with Joe Lovano, Jack DeJohnette, Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci and Jamaaladeen Tacuma, among countless others.

Born in Boston in 1950, Garzone began on tenor at the age of six, played in his family band and studied at Berklee College of Music in his hometown. In 1972 he founded The Fringe with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Bob Gullotti, a trio that became an institution of the Boston and New York scenes and one of the longest-running working bands in jazz.

As a leader, he paid tribute to his first hero, Stan Getz, with Alone in 1995; Four's and Two's, recorded a year later with Joe Lovano, earned him four stars in DownBeat, and Moodiology followed in 1999. He is also a member of the GRAMMY-winning Joe Lovano Nonet, with whom he recorded On This Day… Live At The Vanguard.

Garzone is equally renowned as an educator, currently marking his fiftieth year of teaching at Berklee, with previous posts at the New England Conservatory, Longy School of Music, New York University, Manhattan School of Music, Northeastern University and the New School. He is the creator of the Triadic Chromatic Approach, an improvisation concept documented in a series of books and videos that has entered the vocabulary of contemporary jazz. His former students read like a roll call of the modern tenor: Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, Mark Turner, Donny McCaslin, Seamus Blake, Chris Cheek, Luciana Souza, Danilo Pérez and drummer Antonio Sánchez. His teaching philosophy is disarmingly simple: "A good teacher is a teacher who can teach you to teach yourself."

In September 2026, Garzone will release Themes for Good Friends, his first album for JOJO RECORDS. Produced by label founder Simon Belelty and recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio, it reunites him with bassist Santi Debriano, a friend since their Boston student days, alongside Randy Brecker on trumpet, Luis Perdomo on piano and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. A carefully chosen repertoire of originals, a few well-picked covers and two duos ; the whole thing played by a quintet where every member is a leader in his own right.