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Bill McHenry
 Saxophone New York Times critic Ben Ratliff writes: "Any musician who works so effectively against a common language, and uses cliché so little in the process, is worth listening to. There are tons of young jazz saxophonists out there pursuing ideas of harmony and structure and rhythm, but he has something rare going for him. He has a sound. Mr. McHenry is a fresh new voice: He can play with un-orthodox structure and get as free as you want, but he maintains a ripe, lovely tone straight out of the 1950's. Lyrical is probably the most overused word in jazz criticism, but if anyone deserves the word, Mr. McHenry is the one." Born in Blue Hill, Maine, September 12, 1972, McHenry started playing the saxophone at age ten and at fourteen left home to study at the Interlochen Arts Academy. After graduating, he attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. There he played with fellow students Jamie Saft, Ben Waltzer and Cuong Vu, and studied with Jimmy Guiffre, George Garzone, Joe Maneri, Bob Moses, George Russell and John McNeil, who told him after two years he was ready to leave and go to New York. His second education began when he moved to Brooklyn in 1992 where he immersed himself in a young, new scene of jazz talent. There he focused on developing a personal style of improvisation and composition, trying to expand his melodic sense by playing off the ideas of the band rather than be fixed on preset ideas of style. He also began working on developing his own sound on the saxophone through long-tone study with Dewey Redman. In 1996, McHenry and pianist Ben Waltzer moved to Barcelona, Spain. McHenry learned Spanish, taught at Escuela de Musics in Bellaterra and performed regularly at the Pipa Club in Placa Real, where as co-leader with Waltzer he recorded "Jazz is Where You Find It,” the first of many CD's he would make for Barcelona's Fresh Sound Label. Upon returning to New York, he became a key member of several groups led by some of the best new voices in jazz: Argentine composer Guillermo Klein, bassists Reid Anderson and Chris Lightcap, singer Rebecca Martin, and pianists Ethan Iverson and Ben Waltzer. With these groups, and his own quartet featuring Anderson and guitarist Ben Monder, he has recorded over a dozen albums. Five of these have been listed on the New York Times alternative top-ten list, including "Live at Smalls" (co-led with Ethan Iverson) and his own, "Graphic". "Bill McHenry Quartet featuring Paul Motian," recieved critical acclaim and led to the quartet performing many times at the Village Vanguard. Bill also has played with established jazz legends Charlie Haden, John Abercrombie, Henry Grimes, Andrew Cyrille and John McNeil. McHenry also leads a quintet featuring Duane Eubanks on trumpet, and the band released a live CD called "Sonic Pressure" in December 2006. Bill is a regular faculty member at the Maine Jazz Camp. Click Here to Hear Bill McHenry Perform "Alfombra Magica" Click Here to Hear Bill McHenry Perform "Night and Day" by Cole Porter |