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Steve Norton

Boston-based saxophonist Steve Norton has been performing and recording for over 30 years, with a bunch of folks to whom he is deeply and forever in debt. His recent work has taken a turn toward more sound-based concerns and investigations into performance gestalt. His focus is on improvisation, which is filtered through a strongly compositional sensibility. Current projects include Duck That, Grizzler, Symptomatic, Kilter, Metal & Glass Ensemble, Spam and solo performance as well as ad hoc groupings.

Norton was a member of Debris, the Great Circle Saxophone Quartet and Either/Orchestra and has also performed and/or recorded with Gino Robair, Tom Plsek, Joe Morris, Laurence Cook, Herb Robertson, Steve Adams, Dave Gross, Bhob Rainey, Vic Rawlings, Matt Samolis, Gregory Damien Grinnell, Greg Kelley, Ken Vandermark, Andrea Parkins and Tim Berne. He has recorded for New World Records, Rastascan, Music & Arts, About Time, Tautology and Accurate Records.

He studied composition at Berklee College of Music with Tom McGah, Greg Fritze and John Bavicchi and performance with Steve Adams, Steve Young and Randy Felts.

Steve Norton: Debris and Beyond

by Gordon Marshall
April 27, 2010

Multi-reedist Steve Norton is best known for his work with the 1990s Boston-based band Debris. Debris was an ambitious, exuberant, puzzling band that puzzled together serialism, free jazz and funk. Their music is in equal measure exhilarating and exhausting.

It was the combination, in part, that burned Norton out about ten years ago, as well as a need to attend to his job and family. Back in full force now, at fighting weight, with drive and direction and ...

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