Home » Jazz Musicians » Jimmy Greene

Jimmy Greene

Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Jimmy Greene has emerged as a positive young presence in the creative music world. His solo recordings, True Life Stories (Criss Cross), Forever (Criss Cross), Brand New World (RCA Victor) and Introducing Jimmy Greene (Criss Cross) have been met with much critical acclaim. In fact, Tony Hall of Jazzwise Magazine calls Greene "...without doubt one of the most striking young tenors of recent years."

Greene was born in Hartford, CT on February 24, 1975. From a young age, he exhibited a God-given affinity for music. Greene's parents started him on alto saxophone at age six, and encouraged him to practice. As a high school student, Greene was selected to perform in several Regional, All-Connecticut, and All-New England jazz ensembles and symphonic bands. Greene's music teacher at Bloomfield High School arranged for him to meet and play for Jackie McLean at the famed altoist's community arts school, The Artists'Collective. Of his eager student, McLean commented, "From the beginning, I could tell that he was going to be an exceptional student. He already had a very mature sound and a very mature concept." McLean's teaching over the subsequent years gave the young musician a firm foundation in improvisation, a profound viewpoint of the jazz tradition, as well as the inspiration to seek his own musical identity.

Greene formed his first quintet while in high school, and began composing music soon thereafter. He was awarded a scholarship to attend the David Liebman Summer Saxophone Workshop, and during his senior year, augmented his studies at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Performing Arts under bassist/educator Dave Santoro. As a member of the Academy Jazz Ensemble, Greene won the Most Outstanding Soloist award at the 1993 Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Ensemble Festival and was selected to the 1993 Grammy All-American High School Jazz Band, conducted by Branford Marsalis.

Greene graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1993 with high honors. He continued his studies at the Hartt School/University of Hartford with Jackie McLean, trombonist Steve Davis, and saxophonists Ken Radnofsky and Kris Jensen. During his final year at Hartt, Greene performed often alongside trumpeter Claudio Roditi. In fact, Greene made his recording debut on Roditi's "Double Standards" release on the Reservoir label. At the same time, Greene entered the prestigious 1996 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Jazz Saxophone Competition. He was named First Runner-up by a panel of judges that included Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, Joe Lovano, Jackie McLean, and Joshua Redman.

Greene graduated from The Hartt School Summa Cum Laude in May 1997. In September 1997, he moved to New York City, not long after becoming a member of the Horace Silver Quintet. In addition to the legendary pianist's group, Greene has performed regularly with the groups of Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, Steve Turre, Lewis Nash, Avishai Cohen, Claudia Acuña, Kenny Barron, and Ralph Peterson, as well as the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, New Jazz Composers' Octet, and the big bands of Harry Connick, Jr., Jason Lindner and Kendrick Oliver.

As a leader, Greene made considerable advances after moving to New York. In the final months of 1997, he performed with his quintet for a week at The Jazz Standard and recorded his debut album Introducing Jimmy Greene for the Criss Cross label. In a review of Greene's Jazz Standard stint, the New York Times' Ben Ratliff wrote "[Greene is] in command of harmony, and can sound very organized racing through fast tempos, but he also relaxed into ballad standards and let an intriguing personality shine through." In addition to The Jazz Standard, Greene's bands have performed in New York at The Village Vanguard, Smoke, Small's, and Birdland, in addition to tours of Russia, Brazil, and Uruguay. Greene was honored in the June 1999 issue of Down Beat magazine. The publication, looking toward the future of jazz into the 21st century, recognized Greene as one of "25 Young Rising Stars in Jazz."

In 2009, Greene released the inaugural album on Nu Jazz Entertainment, "The Overcomer's Suite". This album was the first album of it's kind in that it released both audio and video tracks exclusively for digital download around the world. The album was also the first jazz album that was released on "Pre-paid" digital download cards. These "credit card" size items, contained the album artwork on the front, and a special website url on the back with unique codes that allowed the purchasers to download the audio & video tracks with unique bonus photos, audio tracks, and video tracks. Show less

Christian Sands: Christmas Stories

Read "Christmas Stories" reviewed by Dave Linn

by Dave Linn
December 1, 2023

Early on, Christian Sands had a passion for music. He was enrolled in music classes at age four and wrote his first composition at age five. He started playing professionally at the age of ten and studied at the Center for the Arts in New Haven, Connecticut before receiving his Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. A protégé of Dr. Billy Taylor, Sands released his debut album at the age of 12 and came ...

Liner Notes

Jimmy Greene: Gifts and Givers

by C. Andrew Hovan
March 12, 2023

The two-tenor battle is not a new idea, with iconic pairings from the jazz pantheon running the gamut from Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray to Eddie Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin. In more recent times, Eric Alexander and Grant Stewart have fueled the fire with their own incendiary adventures as heard on the current albums Wailin' (Criss 1258) and Cookin' (Criss 1283). As with any healthy blowing session, the idea is to keep each player on his toes while pushing ...

Profile

Jimmy Greene: Beautiful Life

by John Wesley Reed Jr.
February 27, 2016

“Love Wins," says Jimmy Greene, Saxophonist, Newtown, Connecticut. Inspired by his daughter, Ana, Beautiful Life is emotionally fulfilling towards remembrance of all things for the love of Ana. The children's choir made up of Ana's and her brother, Isaiah's friends from when the family lived in Canada, exemplifies the spirit of joy in which Ana lived. Isaiah, Nelba, her mother, and Jimmy hold a candlelight in their hearts for Ana and the children killed in the ...

Extended Analysis

Jimmy Greene: A Beautiful Life

by Patricia Myers
February 9, 2015

Phoenix-born jazz drummer Lewis Nash was the drummer on tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene's newly released tribute album, A Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue Records, 2014). The CD is a remembrance celebration of Greene's 6-year-old daughter, Ana Márquez-Greene, who was among the 20 children and six educators killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, on December 14, 2012. The rhythm section has Nash on drums, Renee Rosnes on piano and Christian McBride on bass. Guest musicians are guitarists ...

404

Album Review

Jimmy Greene: Mission Statement

Read "Mission Statement" reviewed by Elliott Simon

by Elliott Simon
July 17, 2010

Possessing a concise pithy tone on his tenor sax that at times can be reverential, Jimmy Greene also surprises with an ability to translate that same depth to soprano, when making the switch for the odd tune. Greene's quartet consists of pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, and, while this ensemble fits squarely in the world of precise modern jazz, the tunes—due in equal measure to Greene's respect for melody and compositional skill—stand on their own ...

224

Album Review

Jimmy Greene: The Overcomer's Suite

Read "The Overcomer's Suite" reviewed by John Barron

by John Barron
February 2, 2009

Since turning heads at the 1996 Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition, saxophonist/composer Jimmy Greene has been making a name for himself as a prominent voice in the jazz world. Recorded live at the Firehouse 12, in Greene's hometown of Hartford, Connecticut, the music consists of the four-part title track ("Nelba's Victory," “Song for Isaiah," “Gethsemane" and “David Undaunted") as well as tributes to Ornette Coleman ("Anthem of Hope") and Jackie Mclean ("I'll Keep Loving You"). The emphasis on rhythm ...

304

Album Review

Jimmy Greene: The Overcomer's Suite

Read "The Overcomer's Suite" reviewed by David Adler

by David Adler
January 25, 2009

If you compose a suite kindled by a big idea, it's best to front a band with a big sound. That's what tenor/soprano saxophonist Jimmy Greene does on The Overcomer's Suite, his sixth title as a leader and his first for the digital-only Nu Jazz label. Recorded live at Firehouse 12 in New Haven, the session documents a quartet in excellent form, well-rehearsed but ready to improvise. Bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Kendrick Scott bring torrents of rhythm and a ...

Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Jimmy Greene, The Wee Trio, Nevermore Jazz Ball, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
November 2, 2016

This weekend will see swing dancers from all over the country converging on St. Louis for the annual Nevermore Jazz Ball, plus the local debut of a Grammy nominated saxophonist, a homecoming gig for a St. Louis expat with a new recording to promote, and much more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, November 2 Saxophonist Jimmy Greene makes his St. Louis debut as a bandleader with the first of four nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro. The ...
read more

Performance / Tour

Evening Of Jazz For Newtown Benefit Concert on April 12th

Source: Julius Tolentino
April 4, 2013

April 12, 2013 7:30pm-9:30pm Newark Academy Auditorium 91 South Orange Avenue Livingston, NJ 07039 The Evening of Jazz has been an annual concert at Newark Academy to showcase it’s numerous jazz ensembles. This year we are dedicating our concert to the families of Sandyhook and the Greene family. We will have three world class musicians joining our award winning jazz program—Marcus Printup, trumpeter of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Steve Turre, trombonist currently with the Saturday ...
read more

Obituary

Ana Grace Marquez-Green, Daughter Of Jazzman Jimmy Greene Claimed In Newtown Tragedy

Source: Greg Simmons
December 23, 2012

All About Jazz and the entire jazz family offers its condolences to tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene, his wife Nelba Marquez-Greene and their family at the loss of their daughter Ana Grace Marquez-Greene, who died during the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut last Friday. Ana Grace was six years old. The family had recently moved to Newtown from Winnipeg, Canada after Mr. Greene accepted a position at Western Connecticut State University where he is an Assistant Professor of Music and Assistant ...
read more

204

Performance / Tour

Firehouse 12 to Present the Jimmy Greene Quartet March 27th

Source: Improvised Communications
March 26, 2009

On Friday, March 27th, New Haven's Firehouse 12 will present a two-set performance by saxophonist and Hartford native Jimmy Greene's five year-old working quartet. The group, featuring pianist Danny Grissett, bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Ralph Peterson, is on tour celebrating Greene's forthcoming April release, Mission Statement (RazDaz Recordz/Sunnyside).

“Greene is without doubt one of the most striking young tenors of recent years," declared reviewer Tony Hall in Jazzwise. Critics have credited him with a “broad range of acumen, as ...
read more

240

Recording

Jimmy Greene Makes a "Mission Statement" on New Razdaz CD

Source: GoMedia PR
March 19, 2009

Saxophonist’s 7th CD as a Leader To Be Released on April 7 Critically acclaimed tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene will release a new CD, Mission Statement, on April 7 on Sunnyside/Razdaz Recordz, home to such eclectic artists as Sam Barsh and Amos Hoffman. Razdaz founder, bassist Avishai Cohen, in whose band Greene played during the nineties, says, “Jimmy is one of the most exciting and innovative musicians in the scene today. He continues the legacy of such greats as John Coltrane ...
read more

179

Recording

NARAS Voting Members Can Stream the 2009 First Round Grammy Entry: Jimmy Greene – the Overcomer’S Suite Online!

Source: All About Jazz
October 29, 2008

New York, NY -- Nu Jazz Entertainment --a long time producer of high quality audio and video content in the genre of jazz—is announcing the launch of a Grammy Listening Area on their website for 2009 NARAS voting members to hear the first round nominee Jimmy Greene : The Overcomer’s Suite --a new album from award-winning saxophonist, Jimmy Greene , on their Nu Jazz Records label.

About “The Overcomer’s Suite”

Bold…. Daring…. Inventive… All of these ...
read more

193

Recording

Jimmy Greene - "The Overcomer's Suite" - Now Available on Digital Music Card & Digital Download

Source: All About Jazz
May 1, 2008

New York, NY - Nu Jazz Entertainment--a long time producer of high quality audio and video content in the genre of jazz--announced the June 2008 release of Jimmy Greene: The Overcomer's Suite--a new album from award-winning saxophonist, Jimmy Greene, on their Nu Jazz Records label. About “The Overcomer's Suite" Bold.... Daring.... Inventive... All of these words describe Jimmy Greene's brand new album, The Overcomer's Suite (NJE #1001, #1003), on Nu Jazz Records. The inaugural release, on the new label, formed ...
read more

114

Performance / Tour

Jimmy Greene Quartet at Firehouse 12 May 19

Source: All About Jazz
May 17, 2006

Performance / Tour

Jimmy Greene Quintet Debuts at The Village Vanguard 07/19 - 07/24

Source: All About Jazz
July 2, 2005

"...good for a couple of body chills every time you see him. He's got a big barrelhouse sound, and a way of negotiating changes that makes academic moves seem natural." - Jim Macnie, The Village Voice

“Greene is without doubt one of the most striking young tenors of recent years..." - Tony Hall, Jazzwise Magazine

“Greene is increasingly impressive in his construction of melodic lines that have the intimate quality of good speech..." - ...
read more

"[On]The Overcomer's Suite.. the melodies are strong, the rhythms compelling, the forms extended and involved, giving the quartet plenty of room not only to stretch, but to turn together on a dime, in what is one of the finer statements of 2008." -- David A. Adler, All About Jazz (NY)

"Whether emphasizing drawn-out lyrical phrases or linear flourishes, Greene maintains a robust tone with an exuberant amount of confidence." -- John Baron, Allaboutjazz.com

"The [Overcomer's Suite] is unique in form, and superb in content..." -- John Cizik, Jazz Improv

"There is a brawny swagger to {The Tracks on The Overcomer's Suite], a seizing -the-reins attitude that further bolsters the angular verve of Greene's phrasing, that makes this a coming-out party." Britt Robson, eMusic

Recent Releases
Free Song(s)

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Jimmy Greene

Jimmy Greene

Followers

Get more of a good thing!

Connect

More Access

For Musicians

Advertise