Jerome Sabbagh

Saxophonist and composer Jerome Sabbagh was born in Paris and has been living in New York since 1995. He has recorded six albums as a leader, “The Turn”, “Plugged In”, “I Will Follow You”, “One Two Three”, “Pogo” and “North”. As a saxophonist, composer and improviser, he strives for lyricism, directness and tone.

Jerome Sabbagh has played with Paul Motian (with whom he played at the Village Vanguard for a week with the drummer's New Trio with Ben Monder), Victor Lewis, Bill Stewart, Billy Drummond, Eliot Zigmund, Andrew Cyrille, Damion Reid, Reggie Workman, Matt Penman, Joe Sanders, Lage Lund, Guillermo Klein, Laurent Coq and Jean-Michel Pilc.

The Jerome Sabbagh Quartet, as heard on “The Turn”, “North” and “Pogo” features Ben Monder, Joe Martin and Ted Poor. It focuses on original compositions. The Jerome Sabbagh Trio, as heard on “One Two Three” features Ben Street and Rodney Green. It focuses on standards. “I Will Follow You” is a freer project featuring European drum legend Daniel Humair and Ben Monder. Jerome Sabbagh collaborated with keyboardist Jozef Dumoulin, electric bassist Patrice Blanchard and drummer Rudy Royston to record “Plugged In” in 2012. Jerome Sabbagh also performs duet with Danny Grissett.

As a sideman, Jerome has been involved most notably with pianist Laurent Coq's quartet and Guillermo Klein's Los Guachos.

Awards

2008: CMA/FACE grant for French-American jazz projects for a new trio project with Ben Street and Rodney Green

2005: "choc de l'année" (CD of the year) for North from the readers of French monthly Jazzman