Paul Nedzela
 |
Paul Nedzela | |
|---|---|
 Paul Nedzela (center) at the Maurice Ravel Auditorium in Lyon, France, 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | March 12, 1984 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Outside In Music, Blue Engine |
| Member of | Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra |
| Website | www |
Paul Nedzela (born March 12, 1984) is an American jazz baritone saxophonist and bass clarinetist and member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He occasionally doubles on soprano saxophone and soprano clarinet.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Nedzela was born and raised in New York City, New York, the son of a bassist. He studied baritone saxophone with Joe Temperley, Gary Smulyan, and Roger Rosenberg.[2] While pursuing music studies, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from McGill University in 2006.[3] He was a recipient of the Samuel L. Jackson scholarship award, and continued his musical studies at the Juilliard School, where he earned a Master of Music degree in 2008.
Career
[edit]Nedzela's first recordings were with the McGill University Jazz Orchestra in 2003, on the CD album Ostinatocious (2005).[4][5] In March 2010, he performed in Twyla Tharp's Broadway revue, Come Fly Away, featuring the music of Frank Sinatra.[3]
During his career as a jazz musician, he has played with a diverse host of artists, including Wess Anderson, George Benson, Rubén Blades, Bill Charlap, The Birdland Big Band, Chick Corea, Paquito D'Rivera, Michael Feinstein, Kenny Garrett, Benny Golson, Wycliffe Gordon, Roy Haynes, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Ted Nash, Eric Reed, Dianne Reeves, Herlin Riley, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Frank Sinatra Jr., The Temptations, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Reginald Veal, and Max Weinberg.[1][3]
He has also performed in other venues, including major festivals: the Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Banff Music Festival, and the iLoveJazz Festival in Brazil, Valencia Jazz Festival in Spain, Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, and American Festival of the Arts in Doha, Qatar.[2]
From 2003–2016, Nedzela participated in 17 recording sessions. He released his debut album, Introducing Paul Nedzela in 2019.[6]
Nedzela is a current member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He filled in for the band's baritone saxophone chair in 2013,[7] permanently assuming the role in 2016, following the death of Joe Temperly. In addition, he performs with his own quartet, which includes Dan Nimmer (piano), Neal Miner (bass), and Aaron Kimmel (drums).
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Paul Nedzela". Jazz at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
- ^ a b "Paul Nedzela profile". SmallsLIVE. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
- ^ a b c "Bio". Paul Nedzela. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
- ^ McGill Jazz Orchestra - Ostinatocious, 2005, retrieved 2025-05-22
- ^ Jazz, All About (2005-05-02). "The McGill University Jazz Orchestra: Ostinatocious album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
- ^ Paul Nedzela - Introducing Paul Nedzela, 2019, retrieved 2025-05-22
- ^ londonjazz (2020-02-21). "Paul Nedzela – "Introducing Paul Nedzela"". London Jazz News. Retrieved 2025-05-22.