Lummie Spann Jr.

Lummie L Spann Jr Alto and soprano saxophonist Composer Educator Since birth, alto saxophonist Lummie Spann has been fascinated with the art of music. Over the years of his musical study, through the saxophone, he has taken his interest and transformed it into a creative style of electrifying passion and power. Born on February 1, 1979 in Hartford, Ct, to two musically inclined parents, a mother who sang in one of the choirs at their church, the Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church in Hartford, a father who was a DJ in the local party scenes in Hartford and New York in the 70’s and 80’s. From the very beginning, Lummie found himself engulfed in multiple facets of music. From artists such as, Rev. James Clevland and Mahalia Jackson, to Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky, to Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, to James Brown and Michael Jackson, he was open and appreciative of all styles. At the age of ten, Lummie, studied saxophone at the Artist's Collective, a community based performing arts school in Hartford, founded by master jazz musician, Jackie McLean. In high school he enrolled at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, where he studied with bassist Dave Santoro. Dave was one of Lummie’s favorite teachers because studying with him was the most challenging. But the most encouraging teacher was always his mentor, Jackie McLean, who also encouraged his talents as a composer in addition to his performance. In 2001, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, at University of Hartford, where he taught later on. In 2006, based on his composition and performance level, he was selected among an international pool of musicians to the Betty Carter Jazz Residency Program at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Lummie has developed into a soulful and fiery saxophonist who has an original style and sound. His musical endeavors have led him to performing for important figures such as Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Jesse Jackson, Merly Evers and Ray Charles. He currently performs locally, nationally and internationally and has performed with Steve Davis, Nat Reeves, Rene McLean, Winard Harper, Eric McPherson, Billy Johnson, Steve Davis, Jimmy Greene, Warren Byrd, Abraham Burton, Dezron Douglas, Marc Cary, James Burton, Zaccai and Luques Curtis, and Donvonte McCoy.

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