John Ellis (saxophonist)
John Ellis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Axson Ellis |
| Born | April 13, 1974 North Carolina |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Labels | Hyena, Parade Light |
| Website | johnaxsonellis |
John Axson Ellis (born April 13, 1974) is an American jazz saxophonist. He performed in the group Doublewide with Jason Marsalis.[1]
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 Thelonious Monk piano 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[]
- Roots, Branches & Leaves (Fresh Sound, 2002)
- One Foot in the Swamp (Hyena, 2005)
- By a Thread (Hyena, 2006)
- Dance Like There's No Tomorrow (Hyeana, 2008)
- Puppet Mischief (ObliqSound, 2010)
- It's You I Like (Criss Cross, 2012)
- MOBRO (Parade Light, 2014)
- Double Wide Charm (Parade Light, 2015)
- The Ice Siren (Parade Light, 2020)
As sideman[]
With Charlie Hunter
- Songs from the Analog Playground (Blue Note, 2001)
- Right Now Move (Ropeadope, 2003)
- Friends Seen and Unseen (Ropeadope, 2004)
- Copperopolis (Ropeadope, 2006)
With Anne Mette Iversen
- Milo Songs (Bjurecords, 2011)
- So Many Roads (Bjurecords, 2014)
- Round Trip (Bjurecords, 2016)
- Racing a Butterfly (Bjurecords, 2020)
With others
- Darcy James Argue, Brooklyn Babylon (New Amsterdam, 2013)
- Will Bernard, Just Like Downtown (Posi-Tone, 2013)
- Laila Biali, Out of Dust (ACT, 2020)
- Erin Bode, The Little Garden (Native Language, 2008)
- Sean Costello, Sean Costello (Tone-Cool, 2004)
- Caramelos de Cianuro, 8 (Sonografica, 2016)
- Kat Edmonson, Take to the Sky (Convivium, 2009)
- Kat Edmonson, Way Down Low (Okeh, 2013)
- Gilfema, Gilfema + 2 (Obliqsound, 2008)
- Robert Glasper, Mood (Fresh Sound, 2003)
- Jon Gordon, Evolution (ArtistShare, 2009)
- Norah Jones, ...Featuring (Blue Note, 2010)
- Kathy Kosins, Vintage (Mahogany, 2005)
- Michael Leonhart, Suite Extracts Vol. 1 (Sunnyside, 2019)
- Mike Moreno, Between the Lines (World Culture Music, 2007)
- Igor Lumpert, Eleven (Clean Feed, 2018)
- Eric Revis, Laughter's Necklace of Tears (11:11, 2009)
- Robert Sadin, Art of Love: (Deutsche Grammophon, 2009)
- Kate Schutt, Telephone Game (ArtistShare, 2008)
- Kendrick Scott, Conviction (Concord Jazz, 2013)
- Kendrick Scott, We Are the Drum (Blue Note, 2015)
- Ben Sidran, Don't Cry for No Hipster (Nardis, 2012)
- Ben Sidran, Picture Him Happy (Bonsai Music, 2017)
- Leo Sidran, Cool School (Bonsai Music, 2018)
- Edward Simon, Venezuelan Suite (Sunnyside, 2013)
- Lonnie Smith, In the Beginning (Pilgrimage, 2013)
- Lonnie Smith, Evolution (Blue Note, 2016)
- Sting, If On a Winter's Night... (Deutsche Grammophon/Cherrytree, 2009)
- Helen Sung, Sung Without Words (Stricker Street 2018)
References[]
- ^ Swenson, John (September 1, 2010). New Atlantis: Musicians Battle for the Survival of New Orleans. Oxford University Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-19-977958-1. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Collar, Matt. "John Ellis". AllMusic. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Panken, Ted (June 18, 2020). "John Ellis: Words and Tones". JazzTimes. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- 1974 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American male musicians
- 21st-century saxophonists
- American jazz saxophonists
- American male jazz musicians
- American male saxophonists