The Jon Gordon Nonet at Birdland

Jon Gordon is a world-renowned artist and one of the most successful and accomplished alto and soprano saxophonists of his generation. Jazz Improv magazine journalist Brandon Bernstein wrote, Jon Gordon is a master. His compositions, improvisation, tone, and technical virtuosity set him apart as an elite musician of our time. Jon is a winner of the Thelonious Monk award. His 2008 C.D., Within Worlds, received 4+1/2 stars from Down Beat magazine. The magazine also selected the C.D. as one of the top jazz recordings of the decade. His next C.D., Evolution, was selected by The Jazz Journal and the Penguin Guide to Jazz, as well as journalists Neil Tesser and Gene Seymour, as one of the Best Jazz C.D.s of 2009...

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Jon Gordon is a world-renowned artist and one of the most successful and accomplished alto and soprano saxophonists of his generation. Jazz Improv magazine journalist Brandon Bernstein wrote, Jon Gordon is a master. His compositions, improvisation, tone, and technical virtuosity set him apart as an elite musician of our time. Jon is a winner of the Thelonious Monk award. His 2008 C.D., Within Worlds, received 4+1/2 stars from Down Beat magazine. The magazine also selected the C.D. as one of the top jazz recordings of the decade. His next C.D., Evolution, was selected by The Jazz Journal and the Penguin Guide to Jazz, as well as journalists Neil Tesser and Gene Seymour, as one of the Best Jazz C.D.s of 2009. His 2021 C.D., Stranger than Fiction, was selected by the Winnipeg Free Press and jazz journalists Jae Sinnett, Ken Dryden, Mark Houston, and Larry Hollis to their Best of 2021 lists. It was nominated for a Juno award for Best Jazz release. He has played on several Juno and Grammy award nominated and winning recordings. His most recent CD, 7th Ave South, was selected by the Times of London as one of the Best Jazz releases of 2024. Jon has been voted numerous times as a Rising Star, or Talent Deserving Wider Recognition on multiple saxophones, as well as in the composition category, in the annual Down Beat Critics Polls. He is also the author of Foundations for Improvisers, For Sue and Jazz Dialogues. He is currently a professor at the University of Manitoba. Jon Gordon is one of the greatest alto players ever.- Phil Woods

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