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Alex Han

Saxophonist and composer, Alex Han, is widely regarded as the "Young Jazz Lion" of his generation. With performances at well over a dozen internationally recognized Jazz venues, countless musical awards, and a refreshingly original sound, he is fast becoming one of the most influential young players to enter the scene.

Han began his musical journey at the tender age of eight, when his parents encouraged him to study the alto saxophone. Soon thereafter, his innate musical ability began to emerge and by age twelve, he was one of two national recipients of the VSA arts, Young Soloists Award. Around the same time, he was invited by Grammy Award Winning saxophonist, Paquito D'Rivera, to "sit-in" with him at a Jazz at Lincoln Center performance for two nights. A year later, he was asked to perform at the 2001 Festival Internacional de Jazz de Lapataia in Punta del Este, Uruguay. There, the thirteen year old student cut his teeth alongside such Jazz Masters as Paquito D'Rivera, Joe Lovano, Lewis Nash, Slide Hampton, Johnny Griffin, Kenny Barron, Jon Faddis, Nicholas Payton, Dave Valentin, Claudio Roditi and Antonio Sanchez. In the years to follow, he would go on to perform with such Jazz luminaries as Marcus Miller, Joey DeFrancesco, George Benson, James Moody, Kirk Whalum, Oscar Peterson, Rufus Reid, Ken Peplowski, Terry Lyne Carrington, Brian Lynch, Akira Tana, Gerri Allen, Shelly Berg and Walt Weiskopf.

By age fourteen, Han recorded his self-produced, debut release, "Fourteen" which received airplay from NPR and European Jazz stations. That same year, he was a recipient of the 25th Annual Down Beat Magazine, Student Music Awards. In the ensuing year, at the age of fifteen, he was selected as a semi-finalist for the White Foundation World Saxophone Competition (contestants were up to the age of thirty) held at the 2003 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

By age seventeen, Han won the17th Annual Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) Competition for saxophone which is designed to provide early career recognition for outstanding young musicians in the United States. He was also selected for an alto chair on the 2005 Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation Orchestra.

In May 2005, Han was once again a recipient of a Down Beat Magazine, Student Music Award. By the end of that year, he was selected for an alto chair on the 2006 Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensemble and a few months later, won a 2006 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award.

In March 2006, at eighteen, Han signed with Rico Reeds(a division of J.D'Addario & Co.) as their youngest artist endorsee. A month later, he was awarded theBerklee College of Music Presidential Scholarship.

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17
Album Review

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah: Axiom

Read "Axiom" reviewed by Phillip Woolever


As evidenced here, those in attendance for Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah's 2020 engagement at New York's Blue Note from March 11-15 witnessed what turned out to be some of the most powerful performances of this restricted musical year, just before everyday life changed for most people on the planet. The record is dedicated to the victims of Corona-19. This exceptional concert compilation could well be the first of “jazz's" present day, classic live albums released during the pandemic ...

4
Catching Up With

Alex Han: Embracing The Spirit

Read "Alex Han: Embracing The Spirit" reviewed by Liz Goodwin


With a bold, invigorating, and adventurous sound, alto/soprano saxophonist and composer Alex Han is a sonic force on his debut CD, Spirit. The project was produced by none other than the 2009 Berklee College of Music graduate's longtime employer and friend, the incomparable Grammy-Award winning electric bassist/bass clarinetist/producer/composer Marcus Miller for Miller's own label, 3 Deuces. Han is a stellar member of Miller's band, has appeared on several of his albums, and continues to tour extensively with the ...

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228

Performance / Tour

Alto Saxophonist Alex Han, 20, Will Tour with Marcus Miller

Alto Saxophonist Alex Han, 20, Will Tour with Marcus Miller

Source: All About Jazz

By Patricia Myers

Young alto saxophonist Alex Han, 20, has been booked for an international summer tour with two-time Grammy-winning electric bassist Marcus Miller.

The tour begins July 3 with the Istanbul Jazz Festival in Turkey and continues across Europe, including the Jazz a Juan festival in Antibes, France, and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.,ending July 29. Prior to the tour, Han will perform with Terri Lyne Carrington and George Duke on June 8 at Chicago's Pearl Fest 2008. ...

193

Performance / Tour

Saxophonist Alex Han to Tour with Marcus Miller

Saxophonist Alex Han to Tour with Marcus Miller

Source: All About Jazz

20 year old jazz saxophonist and composer, Alex Han, is scheduled to tour 14 European cities with legendary two-time Grammy Award-Winning musician, composer and producer, Marcus Miller. The band line-up for this tour beginning July 3, 2008 is Alex Han on saxophone, Federico Gonzalez Pena on keyboards, and Jason “JT" Thomas on drums. Han is also scheduled to perform with Miller on the 2009 Playboy Jazz Cruise. Since age 12, Han has performed at world-renowned venues including The Blue Note, ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Axiom

Ropeadope / Stretch Music
2020

buy

Spirit

3 Deuces
2017

buy

Fourteen

Self Produced
0

buy

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