ABOUT Wayne Escoffery
Grammy award-winning tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery is one of the jazz world's most talented stars. In 2006, he secured one of the most coveted gigs in jazz — a frontline position in Tom Harrell's working quintet. For over a decade Escoffery toured the globe with the master trumpeter and recorded seven CDs with The Tom Harrell Quintet, co-producing four of those releases. Since 2000, Escoffery has been a member of The Mingus Dynasty, Big Band and Orchestra.
Escoffery has recorded and performed internationally with the who's who in jazz, enjoying collaborations with the likes of Ron Carter, Ben Riley, Abdulah Ibrahim, Eric Reed, Carl Allen, Al Foster, Billy Hart, Eddie Henderson, Rufus Reid, Wallace Roney, Randy Brecker and Herbie Hancock. As a leader for multiple projects, Escoffery tours internationally with his ensembles and has recorded several highly acclaimed studio recordings. Most recently, his quartet collaboration with pianist David Kikoski, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, and drummer Ralph Peterson released three albums.
Escoffery is also a founding member of a collaborative group called Black Art Jazz Collective which is comprised of fellow star musicians of his generation and is dedicated to celebrating the origins of jazz and African American icons through originally composed music.
Escoffery is dedicated to music education and presents lectures and masterclasses on jazz. In the fall of 2016, Wayne Escoffery was appointed as Lecturer of Jazz Improvisation and Ensemble Coach at the Yale School of Music as a part of Yale University's Jazz Initiative — a first of its kind for Yale. He also serves as the saxophone instructor for The New Jersey Performing Arts Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens Program and currently teaches private online and in-person lessons for all instruments.
www.wayneescoffery.com