Joe Lovano Totally Explained

Everything about Joe Lovano totally explained

Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born 29 December 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a post bop jazz saxophonist, alto clarinetist, flautist, and drummer. Since the late 1980s, Lovano has been one of the world's premiere tenor saxophone players, earning a Grammy award and several nods on Down Beat magazine's critics' and readers' polls. Joe Lovano exclusively plays Borgani

saxophones. His wife is jazz singer Judi Silvano.

Early years

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Lovano was exposed throughout his early life to jazz by his father, Tony "Big T" Lovano. John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sonny Stitt were among his earlier influences. He developed further at Berklee College of Music where he studied under Herb Pomeroy and Gary Burton. Following this, he served a big band apprenticeship with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd and the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra.
"Big T" Lovano, a fine Cleveland tenorman, was his first inspiration. He taught Joe all the standards, how to lead a gig, how to pace a set, and to be versatile enough to always find work. Joe started on alto at age six and switched to tenor five years later. He attended Berklee before working with Jack McDuff and Dr. Lonnie Smith. After three years with Woody Herman's Orchestra, Lovano moved to New York and began playing regularly with Mel Lewis’ Big Band. This influence is still present in his solos. He often plays lines that convey the rhythmic drive and punch of an entire horn section.

Recent work

One of the top saxophonists of the 1990s, Joe Lovano continues to grow and explore as a musician. He has a husky tenor tone based in the tradition, but an approach to improvisation that's modern and daring. In the early ‘80s he began working in John Scofield’s Quartet and a bass-less trio with Paul Motian and Bill Frisell. Steeped in the tradition of Ornette Coleman, Motian’s recordings show off Lovano’s avant-garde abilities. Scofield’s Quartet straddled the line between “inside” and “outside”. These recordings feature some of Lovano’s best work.
Lovano has enduring musical partnerships with John Scofield and Paul Motian, having participated in some of their most noteworthy projects over the years.
He is currently a jazz artist on the international level. His live work, specifically Quarterts at the Village Vanguard, garnered a Down Beat "Jazz Album of the Year" award. Other releases include Trio Fascination and 52nd Street Themes. In the late 1990s, he formed the Saxophone Summit with Dave Liebman and Michael Brecker (now deceased, replaced with Ravi Coltrane). He played the tenor saxophone on the critically acclaimed 2007 McCoy Tyner album "Quartet". In 2006 Lovano released Streams Of Expression, a tribute to two different genres of jazz, cool and free. He did this with the help of Gunther Schuller who contributed his Birth Of The Cool Suite. In a surprise loss Lovano and his nonet didn't win the Grammy for best large ensemble jazz record of 2006. Joe Lovano and Hank Jones are releasing an album together in June of 2007 entitled Kids. Lovano also currently leads his quartet with Berklee Faculty and students Esperanza Spalding, James Weidman, and Otis Brown.

Discography

As leader

Tones, Shapes and Colors (1985)
Hometown Sessions (1986)
Solid Steps (1986)
Village Rhythms (1988)
Worlds (1989)
Landmarks (1990)
Sounds of Joy (1991)
From the Soul (1991)
Universal Language (1992)
Tenor Legacy (1993)
Quartets: Live at the Village Vanguard (1994) with Tom Harrell and Mulgrew Miller
Rush Hour (1994)
Ten Tales (1994)
Celebrating Sinatra (1996)
Tenor Time (1997)
Flying Colors (1997) with Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Trio Fascination: Edition One (1998)
Friendly Fire (1999) with Greg Osby
52nd Street Themes (2000)
Flights of Fancy: Trio Fascination, Volume 2 (2001)
Viva Caruso (2002)
On This Day ... at the Vanguard (2003)
I'm All for You (2004)
Joyous Encounter (2005)
Streams of Expression (2006)

Collaborations

Unknown Voyage (1985) with Furio Di Castri

Think Before You Think (1989) with Bill Stewart, Marc Cohen and Dave Holland

Snide Remarks (1995) with Bill Stewart, Eddie Henderson, Bill Carrothers and Larry Grenadier

Grand Slam (2000) with Jim Hall, George Mraz, and Lewis Nash

Fourth World (2001) with James Emery, Judi Silvano, and Drew Gress

ScoLoHoFo (2003) with John Scofield, Dave Holland, and Al Foster

Gathering of Spirits (2004) with Michael Brecker and Dave Liebman

Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (2007) with Hank Jones

Quartet (2007) with McCoy Tyner, Christian McBride and Jeff "Tain" Watts

Silverslide with Dan Silverman

TV Appearances

SOLOS: the jazz sessions (2004) Bravo! Canada

DVDs

Jazz Improvisation (2003)

The Paris Concert (2006)Further Information

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