Jerry Bergonzi is a tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and author. His meaty tone is influenced by John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. He is a master of harmony and chromaticism with profound, innate lyricism and an unshakeable rhythmic sensibility. Bergonzi has a commanding grasp of the entire jazz tradition, but his preference leans toward post-bop and blues. After releasing 1988's Gonz, he established a strong underground following in the Boston area. By the time he issued 1991's Lineage (with pianist Mulgrew Miller), jazz critics in the U.S., Italy, and Asia were writing about him. He's since released more than 70 albums in myriad musical settings on numerous labels. These range from 1993's Open Architecture with Daniel Humair and J.F. Jenny-Clark to 1996's Within, as a sideman to Guido Manusardi. They also include 2004's speculative duo outing Intuition with pianist Andy LaVerne, 2014's Intersecting Lines, 2020's Nearly Blue, and 2023's Extra Extra.
Hometown
Boston, MA, United States
Genre
Jazz
Similar to: Jerry Bergonzi
Discover more music and artists similar to Jerry Bergonzi, like Dick Oatts, Jerry Bergonzi Trio, Chris Potter