Brian VanArsdale is an up-and-coming tenor saxophonist and composer currently based in New York City. After growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a city long known as the home to many great jazz and blues musicians, Brian moved to Atlanta, Georgia wh [+]Brian VanArsdale is an up-and-coming tenor saxophonist and composer currently based in New York City. After growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a city long known as the home to many great jazz and blues musicians, Brian moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he was able to start his own musical groups, starting as young as age 14. Brian first went to college at the University of Illinois where he gained a mentor in Ron Bridgewater, the celebrated tenor player.
In 2000, Brian transferred to the University of North Florida where he studied mainly with Bunky Green and Kevin Bales. During his tenure at UNF, ensembles that Brian participated in were recognized with many national and international awards, including invitations to the 2002 and 2003 IAJE conventions, the East Coast Jazz Festival in Rockville, Maryland, and The Midwest Convention in Chicago, IL. During the two years Brian was at UNF, he was the recipient of a total of five DOWNBEAT student music awards for both his own writing and for the ensembles he performed with. Brian's writing can be heard on the UNF Jazz Ensembles CD Things to Come, and again with his playing on their release Second Thoughts. Brian graduated from UNF in 2002, and was the recipient of the "Outstanding Musician Award" from the music faculty. In addition to school groups, Brian performed around the southeast with his quartet and as a sideman in many other groups.
In June 2002, Brian was a participant in the Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, IL. There, he worked with faculty Dr. David Baker, Dr. Nathan Davis, James Moody, Rufus Reid, and Danilo Perez, and performed with some of the best young jazz artists from around the world.
Beginning in the fall of 2002, Brian was a teaching assistant and co-director of the Jazz Lab Band and 3:30 jazz performance workshop at the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with a wonderful faculty including Jeff Cambell, Harold Danko, Bill Dobbins, Clay Jenkins, and Walt Weiskopf. Addidiotnaly, Brian led his small group to a performance at the East Coast Jazz Festival and the award of "Best Combo" from Downbeat Magazine. Brian graduated in the spring of 2004 with a Masters degree in Jazz Performance, again receiving the top award for jazz performance from t
|
 |
Genre/Tags: 
Ringtones
Full Tracks
