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David Binney

Acclaimed as a considerable and highly individual compositional talent, saxophonist David Binney is one of the most prolific jazz musicians on the scene today. Winning praise from critics and colleagues alike, David was recently singled out by Jazz Times as one of a handful of "players who have created an alternative jazz-scene... all of whom are playing adventurous, original music."

David has recorded 20+ albums as leader or co-leader and recorded on more than 300 other albums.

David was born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Southern California. At the age of 19 moved to New York City and lived there for many years. He now resides in Los Angeles. And Produces records and performs worldwide. He also mixes and masters records.

Creator/Producer of the band that was David Bowie's Blackstar.

Known for his performances and recordings with such prestigious groups as Knower (Louis Cole, Genevieve Artadi), Chrissie Hynde, Gil Evans, Maria Schneider, Jim Hall, Uri Caine, Vinicius Cantuaria, Carlinhos Brown, Norah Jones, Antonio Sanchez, Wayne Krantz, Chris Potter, Nguyen Le, Miles Okazaki, Joe Locke, Edward Simon, Dan Weiss, Alex Sipiagin, Joel Harrison, Bobby Previte, Cecil McBee and countless others. David was also a co-founder of the hard-edged quintet "Lost Tribe" and the open-form collective quartet "Lan Xang."

David’s distinctive saxophone sound and innovative compositions have been heard from basement clubs in New York to jazz festivals in Europe and the world. David has also appeared with Aretha Franklin at Carnegie Hall, and with Jamiroquai, Maceo Parker, to name a few. He has produced all of his own 30 albums, and many others including two of the Lost Tribe releases, 7 Donny McCaslin releases and a Scott Colley “The Architect of the Silent Moment.”. David started his record label, Mythology Records, in 1998. David also created the group the Donny McCaslin group that eventually became the group on David Bowie’s #1 record Blackstar.

He has won the Downbeat Critics Poll 3 different times in the Alto Saxophone category. And placed in Producer, Album, et al.. Has had front cover features in Downbeat and Jazz Times, featured in the NY Times Art section, and many other publications.

The albums that David owns are available on this site. All of his other albums, in addition to the ones on this site, are readily accessible on most streaming platforms. And most are available physical CDs/LP's.

Teaching: David has been teaching worldwide for many years. Besides teaching privately in person and via Zoom, Skype etc..

New Music From Hiromi, Usein Bekirov, Mohini Dey And David Binney

by Len Davis
September 17, 2023

The latest release from Hiromi Sonic Wonderland, from Ukraine Drummer Usein Bekirov with Randy Brecker and Hadrien Feraud Sato, bassist from Spain Vincen Garcia Why Not his new single and Mohini Dey with more from her latest. Drummer Nicolas Viccario from Metropolitan Souk with pianist Ruslan Sirota and bassist Hadrien Feraud. Polish guitarist Apotolis Anthimos Come Together, Austrian pianist David Helbock from Austrian Syndicate, Jaak Sooaar guitarist from Estonia withZula and David Binney from Action . Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad ...

Radio & Podcasts

Randy Bernsen, Jaco Pastorius, Bob Berg and Larry Coryell

by Len Davis
August 18, 2023

From the '70s to 2005. Drummer Horace Arnold, Randy Bernsen, with Jaco Pastorius, Jeff Miley from Altered and David Binney from his album Point Game. The late Bob Berg from In The Shadows with Mike Stern, Tom Coster with Dennis Chambers and the late Larry Coryell with Spaces Revisited from 1997. Plus French Canadian bassist Alain Caron with Jerry De Villiers jnr. Playlist Horace Arnold “Chinnereth" from Tales Of The Exonerated Flea (Columbia) 00:00 Randy Bernsen “Olde Hats" ...

Radio & Podcasts

Adam Nitti, Matteo Mancusco, David Binney and Ollie Usiskin

by Len Davis
July 14, 2023

Bassist Adam Nitti, Italian guitarist Matteo Mancusco, MAMOGI with Mohini Dey, Israeli guitarist Nilli Brosh with Virgil Donati and Japanese bassist Tetsuo Sakurai. Jazz from Ray LeVier, David Binney and John Escreet and Indian Pianist Lydian Nadhaswaram. UK drummer Ollie Usiskin with his latest Trio Zone completes the hour.Playlist Adam Nitti “Antisocial Media" from Not Of This World (Renaissance Man) 00:00 Matteo Mancusco “Samba Party" from The Journey (Mascot) 0:05:27 MAMOGI “Dirty MFR" from Dirty MFR (Self Produced) ...

Album Review

Mark Lockett: Swings & Roundabouts

Read "Swings & Roundabouts" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
April 10, 2023

The “free jazz" movement has come a long way since its introduction mid-20th century by pathfinders like Tadd Dameron, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, Archie Shepp, Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Andrew Cyrille, Lester Bowie and their kin. The music, which favors free expression in lieu of customary chordal, rhythmic and harmonic precepts, was at times puzzling, even painful, to unscramble. Over the years, free jazz has tempered to some extent its revolutionary aspects, one example of ...

Album Review

Vince Mendoza/Metropole Orkest: Olympians

Read "Olympians" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
April 4, 2023

Eight-time Grammy-winning composer/arranger Vince Mendoza, born and raised in Norwalk, CT, has enjoyed great success overseas--in Europe, to be more precise--since releasing an album with Germany's WDR Big Band in 1994. The following year, Mendoza began collaborating with the Dutch Metropole Orkest and in 1998 was named its principal guest conductor. Olympians is Mendoza's third recording with the massive, string-laden Metropole. He has recorded other albums with the London and Czech Symphony Orchestras. Here in the U.S., ...

Album Review

Vince Mendoza Metropole Orkest: Olympians

Read "Olympians" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci

by Richard J Salvucci
March 16, 2023

Many years ago Dizzy Gillespie recorded an album called The New Continent (Limelight, 1965). Whether it was commercially successful is hard to say, but it featured an all-star cast of Los Angeles session players. The recording made a deep impression on some listeners because it was creative, dynamic, exotic and simply enjoyable. Good compositions (by Lalo Schifrin), arrangements and musicians will do that, even if the result is a bit different than mainstream jazz. Or mainstream Gillespie. ...

Liner Notes

David Binney: Barefooted Town

by Josef Woodard
February 1, 2023

Continuing Saga of the Strong Seeker I remember distinctly during the 2007 Montreal Jazz Festival, sifting through and measuring up the usual blur of stimuli, seeking out the prizes among prizes in the program. In one corner, there was Wayne Shorter, in the finest of his performance I'd ever heard—playing up his suits as composer and soloist by meshing his free-wheeling quartet and the score-heeding Imani Winds. And then, in another corner, as part of the late night haunt of ...

Birthday