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Travis Sullivan

Posi-Tone Records recording artist Travis Sullivan has earned a worldwide reputation as an alto saxophonist, pianist, composer, and arranger. Embedded in the New York music scene for the past 15 years, he has been hailed by Jazz Times as being “…a gifted alto saxophonist and improviser who has also developed a strong and commanding voice as a composer.”

Sullivan’s most recent CD was released in 2011: New Directions, his third album as a leader and his debut on Posi-Tone Records. New Directions presents eight of his original modern jazz compositions, as well as Rodgers & Hart’s “Spring is Here,” and his arrangement of the Tears for Fears classic “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” The new album also features his newly formed group The Travis Sullivan Quartet, which will be performing nationally and throughout Europe later this year.

New Directions is his first small ensemble release in over a decade. In 1999 Sullivan’s self-release Travis Sullivan’s Project One: As We Speak featured a quartet that included guitarist Rez Abbasi and drummer Ari Honig. In 2002, his breakthrough came in the form of Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra, an 18-piece big band performing his arrangements of the renowned music of Icelandic pop goddess Bjork, and in 2008 he released Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra: Enjoy! on Koch Records. Sullivan formed his new quartet in early 2010, with himself on alto saxophone, Mike Eckroth on piano, Marco Panascia on bass, and Brian Fishler on drums. “It’s exciting to be returning to a quartet setting,” says Sullivan, “and I’m looking forward to further developing my creative voice as both a composer and improviser in this context.”

Sullivan can be heard performing regularly in the U.S. at venues such as The Blue Note, Iridium, The Jazz Standard, Joe’s Pub, and the SF Jazz Festival. He has also appeared internationally at The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Jarasum Jazz Festival (South Korea), and as a conductor for the Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (Germany), the Sicilian Jazz Orchestra (Italy), and the Reykjavik Big Band (Iceland).

Gear

RS Berkeley Virtuoso Series Alto Saxophone


Tags

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Album Review

Mario Schenker: Melodien

Read "Melodien" reviewed by Luca Casarotti


C'è in questo Melodien, disco in quartetto del sassofonista svizzero Mario Schenker pubblicato dalla connazionale etichetta Unit, una sorta di divisione, di scarto tra temi e parti solistiche. I temi non sono memorabili. In senso letterale, proprio: non sono memorabili perché non restano impressi all'ascolto, non perché sono mal composti. Forse quello era precisamente l'intento: non incidere la memoria con il tema, lasciare che fosse l'evoluzione dei brani a fare il grosso del lavoro. Si tratta per lo più di ...

3
Album Review

Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra: I Go Humble

Read "I Go Humble" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Until this new CD crossed the threshold, the name Bjork was no more than that within these precincts. As it turns out, Bjork is a she, an Icelandic singer / songwriter whose given name is Bjork Gudmundsdottir. Apparently, saxophonist / arranger Travis Sullivan is an avowed enthusiast, as he has not only named his big band in Bjork's honor but has recorded at least two albums devoted to her music, which the twelve-piece ensemble has been playing since 2004. If ...

2
Album Review

Travis Sullivan's Björkestra: I Go Humble

Read "I Go Humble" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Björk isn't a member of the jazz community, but the jazz community has had no problem embracing her. Musicians as different as vocalist Kate McGarry and drummer Jeff “Tain" Watts have explored the eclectic Icelandic singer's work and put their own stamp on her intoxicating music, but they each left her catalog after a single-song visit. Saxophonist/Arranger Travis Sullivan is on the other end of the spectrum. He set up shop in her world in 2004 and never truly left. ...

207
Album Review

Travis Sullivan: New Directions

Read "New Directions" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


New Directions could signify a paradigm shift for alto saxophonist Travis Sullivan's eighteen-piece Björkestra, a unit dedicated to performing arrangements of Icelandic pop vocalist Björk. Sullivan goes back to his fundamental mainstream jazz roots on the lyrically rich New Directions, assembled with memorable comps and sterling interplay from his quartet. Sullivan's vocal-like tonalities and muscular alto work casts an acoustic game plan that often yields electrifying results. Sullivan generates memorable compositions while injecting a spirited aura into the ...

183
Album Review

Travis Sullivan: New Directions

Read "New Directions" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Travis Sullivan's New Directions, his Posi-Tone debut, is a rewarding trip through a mix of strong, self-penned, tunes and an unusual combination of covers. The saxophonist leads his quartet with style, emphasizing musicality and emotional engagement over displays of technique, and creating a sparkly collection that emphatically establishes his talents as a composer as well as a saxophonist. The altoist's compositions are firmly within the modern jazz tradition, but there's a variety in pace, rhythm and mood ...

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Interview

Travis Sullivan: This Cat Plays the Sax

Read "Travis Sullivan: This Cat Plays the Sax" reviewed by R.J. DeLuke


Travis Sullivan composes and arranges with a fine flair. For about the last six years, he's proven himself a strong leader of a large band, running the Bjorkestra, an acclaimed unit that plays slick, intricate and sometimes burning jazz versions of songs by popular Icelandic singer/songwriter Bjork.It's a band that's an audience pleaser and one that musicians like to play in. In Milan, Italy, in December, trumpeter Dave Douglas was the guest soloist. “That's a really fun group," ...

189
Album Review

Travis Sullivan: New Directions

Read "New Directions" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Saxophonist Travis Sullivan has received lots of coverage for the music he creates with his Björkestra, but the success of that band is a double-edged sword. While following the musical pathways set forth by his Icelandic muse has helped the saxophonist expand his audience, it also temporarily suppressed his own musical personality. With New Directions, Sullivan steps out of the shadow of Björk and back into the light of his own creations. For this ten-song program, Sullivan ...

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76

Recording

Travis Sullivan - New Directions (Posi-Tone, 2011)

Travis Sullivan - New Directions (Posi-Tone, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland

Saxophonist, composer and educator Travis Sullivan has an appealing sound and develops strong melodic mainstream jazz here, with an intelligently mixed program cookers, mid-tempo numbers and ballads anchored by his strong playing on saxophone. He is accompanied by Mike Eckroth on piano, Marco Panascia bass, and Brian Fishleron drums. While “Jamia's Dance" is a medium tempo opener with a fine flowing saxophone solo, “Autumn in new Hampshire" is a particularly poignant ballad, more dark toned and elegiac, reflecting the autumn ...

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Radio

Bjorkestra Bandleader, Travis Sullivan Interviewed by B.J. Jansen on His Jazz Life Radio Show.;

Bjorkestra Bandleader, Travis Sullivan Interviewed by B.J. Jansen on His Jazz Life Radio Show.;

Source: JM Creative

B.J. Jansen interviewed Travis Sullivan, Creator of the Bjorkestra on The Jazz Life radio show. The complete interview was broadcast on WPSC 88.7 FM, May 31st, 2009. Jansen created his show, “The Jazz Life," to bring audiences to the next generation of jazz artists who struggle to receive airplay in the United States. The programming format of “The Jazz Life" features brand new content from artists who actively perform and would appeal ...

Primary Instrument

Saxophone, alto

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Music You Will...

Self Produced
2021

buy

Melodien

Unit Records
2014

buy

I Go Humble

Zoho Music
2013

buy

New Directions

Posi-Tone Records
2011

buy

As We Speak

Self Produced
2001

buy

Jamia's Dance

From: New Directions
By Travis Sullivan

Videos

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