John Ellis (saxophonist)
Musical artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Axson Ellis (born April 13, 1974) is an American jazz saxophonist. He performed in the group Doublewide with Jason Marsalis.[1]
April 13, 1974
John Ellis | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Axson Ellis April 13, 1974 North Carolina |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Labels | Hyena, Parade Light |
| Website | johnaxsonellis |
Career
A native of North Carolina, Ellis learned clarinet and piano as a child.[2] During the 1990s in New Orleans he studied with Ellis Marsalis and performed with Brian Blade and Nicholas Payton.[3] He released his debut album, Language of Love, independently in 1996.[2] He received a music degree from the New School in New York City and won second place in the 2002 Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz International Saxophone Competition.[2] He traveled to Africa as a cultural ambassador for the United States Information Agency.[3]
With playwright Andy Bragen Ellis composed the theatrical works Dreamscapes, The Ice Siren, and Mobro.[2][3] An album version of The Ice Siren with Gretchen Parlato on vocals was released in 2020.[2]
Ellis has worked with The Holmes Brothers, Charlie Hunter, John Patitucci, Lonnie Smith, Sting, Helen Sung, and Miguel Zenón.[2]
Discography
As leader/co-leader
- Language of Love (Riding Between Cars Recordings, 1997)
- Roots, Branches & Leaves (Fresh Sound, 2002) – recorded in 2000
- One Foot in the Swamp (Hyena, 2005)
- By a Thread (Hyena, 2006)
- Dance Like There's No Tomorrow (Hyena, 2008)
- Puppet Mischief (ObliqSound, 2010)
- It's You I Like (Criss Cross, 2012) – recorded in 2011
- MOBRO with Andy Bragen (Parade Light, 2014)
- Charm (Parade Light, 2015)
- The Ice Siren with Andy Bragen (Parade Light, 2020)
- When the World Was Young (Independent, 2020)
- All Things Bright (Independent, 2020)
- Bizet: Carmen in Jazz (Blue Room Music, 2023)
- Heroes (Blue Room Music, 2025)
- Fireball (Sunnyside, 2026)
As sideman
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With Charlie Hunter
With Anne Mette Iversen
With Kat Edmonson
With Kendrick Scott
With Ben Sidran
With Lonnie Smith
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With others
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