Visiting Artists in Jazz, Spring, 2002
Born in Cincinnati in 1963 and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, saxophonist Don Braden has been described by Roy Haynes as "One of the new young lions of the tenor saxophone". At Harvard Braden studied engineering, played in the Harvard Jazz Band, and worked with the undergraduate community group Citystep. "Both as an undergraduate and as a professional jazz performer," Band Director Everett says, "Don Braden has retained an open mind to all influences and a genuine enthusiasm for the music".
In 1984 Braden moved to New York City where his first gigs were with the Harper Brothers Quintet, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, and vocalist Betty Carter. After touring with the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, he recorded with Betty Carter on her Grammy Award-winning album, "Look What I Got" (Verve-Polygram). Following world tours with Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, and others, Braden was a member of the Freddie Hubbard Quintet from 1989 to 1991. Since then he has worked with Tom Harrell, the Mingus Big Band, Kenny Barron, J.J. Johnson, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and others, as well as with his own groups. Peter Watrous of the New York Times has described Don Braden's playing as "brilliant and assured"
"Brighter Days" is Braden's eleventh CD as a leader and features his working quartet: Xavier Davis on piano, Dwayne Burno on bass, and Cecil Brooks III on drums. As a sideman he has recorded on nearly fifty CDs. His compositional work includes a number of independent films and four years as composer for the CBS sitcom "Cosby". He also co-wrote the theme for Cosby's current CBS cartoon series, "Little Bill". Braden's first big band composition/arrangement, "Landing Zone", commissioned by the Office for the Arts, will be featured at the Harvard concert. Braden serves as Music Director/teacher for Litchfield Performing Arts and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Jazz for Teens Program and also teaches at William Paterson University. He is the recipient of a Doris Duke Foundation (in conjunction with Chamber Music America) Jazz Composition grant for a new work for his Octet. His web site is www.DonBraden.com.
While studying English literature at Harvard, Sara Lazarus '84
played
tenor saxophone in the Sunday Band and sang with the Monday Band. "
When I first met Sara as a freshman, I knew she was heading somewhere
special when she proudly acknowledged that she and Clifford Brown shared
the same hometown, Wilmington, Delaware", recalls Tom Everett. She
met Harvard Artist in Residence Illinois Jacquet who encouraged her to
focus exclusively on music and invited her to sing with his big band.
In her senior year, Lazarus won Downbeat's award for "Best Jazz Vocal
Soloist-College Division". After graduation Lazarus moved to Paris
and began working in club and concert settings. She formed a quartet,
drawing inspiration from Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, and Sarah Vaughan.
In 1994 a panel that included Shirley Horn, Dianne reeves, and Jon Hendricks
awarded Lazarus first prize at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz
Vocals Competition. "Miss Lazarus can swing and she enunciates well,
" wrote Peter Watrous in the New York Times, "and she can improvise.
She scatted a chorus of agile bebop ideas. Her voice was warm and supple."
Lazarus returned to Paris to be with her husband and young sons, and continues
to work with her trio throughout France. She has performed at the Marciac
Jazz Festival and Paris JVC Jazz Festival, and on French television and
radio. In 2000 she was joined bassist/arranger Patrice Caratini's eleven-piece
ensemble. The group recorded a live album and will tour with the Orchestre
National d'Ile de France. Her first album for the Candid label is in preparation.
Anton Schwartz '89, who held the Harvard Band's first tenor sax
chair
after Don Braden'85 and before Joshua Redman'90, studied with Warne Marsh
during college. In describing Schwartz as a young artist Band Director
Tom Everett says, "Anton's original compositions and unique tone
are distinctive among today's tenor's". Born in 1967 in New York
City, Schwartz earned a BA from Harvard in Mathematics and Philosophy.
He then moved to the San Francisco area to obtain a masters from Stanford
University.
In 2000, he released "The Slow Lane" (AntonJazz AJ-1002), following his critically acclaimed debut album "When Music Calls". Both recordings feature his San Francisco-based ensemble of pianist Paul Nagel, bassist John Shifflett, and drummer Jason Lewis. Downbeat's Dan Ouellette described "When Music Calls" as a "collection of captivating melodies "that swing with graceful elegance, effervesce with spirited vigor, and romance with soulful emotion"." Since 1994 Schwartz has taught at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. His saxophone playing was heard on the sound track of Mirimax's 1996 "Albino Alligator," starring Matt Dillon and Faye Dunaway. Master saxophonist Illinois Jacquet said of Schwartz " you play the tenor sax like it's meant to be played". His website is www.antonjazz.com.
