Jonathan Kantor, an up-and-coming tenor saxophone and clarinetist, will present original compositions and arrangements in his Blue Note debut featuring jazz giants Kenny Werner, Alex Sipiagin, Gerald Cannon and Adam Nussbaum. The show will take place Monday January 18.
Since arriving in New York in 2006, Kantor has recorded, performed and studied with some of the world's finest jazz musicians, including Chris Potter, Kenny Werner, Jean Michel-Pilc,
Lenny Pickett and Joe Lovano, to name a few. In addition to his work as a performer and composer, Kantor is an avid writer and has worked with numerous jazz historians, including Nat Hentoff, who called him "an important part of the jazz life." Just this past month, Kantor recorded a demo CD of his original material that can be listened to HERE in the "listen" section at
www.jonathankantorjazz.com/liveWHEN: Monday, January 18, 2009; Sets @ 8:00pm & 10:30pm
WITH: Jonathan Kantor, tenor saxophone & clarinet; Alex Sipiagin, trumpet; Kenny Werner, piano; Gerald Cannon, bass; Adam Nussbaum, drums
COST: $10 @ table / $5 @ bar
WHERE: The Blue Note; 131 W 3rd. St, New York, NY 10012
MORE: Doors open at 6pm. There is a $5 food/beverage minimum. For reservations, call 212-475-8592 or visit our website at
www.bluenotejazz.comJonathan Kantor, an up-and-coming tenor saxophone and clarinetist on the New York jazz scene, was born in Allentown, PA in December, 1983. Since arriving in New York in 2006, Kantor has recorded, performed and studied with some of the world's finest jazz musicians, including Chris Potter, Kenny Werner, Jean Michel-Pilc,
Lenny Pickett and Joe Lovano, to name a few. In addition to his work as a performer and composer, Kantor is an avid writer and has worked with numerous jazz historians, including Nat Hentoff, who called Kantor "an important part of the jazz life."
In December 2009, Kantor recorded a studio album of original compositions and arrangements. The recording features Kantor on clarinet and tenor saxophone alongside trumpeter
David Smith, pianist Mike Eckroth, bassist Jerry De Vore, and drummer Joe Abbatantuono.
Ever since the age of 5, Kantor has been performing music in front of audiences, often alongside his identical twin brother David Kantor, a singer/songwriter and guitarist based in Connecticut.
In high school, Kantor studied classical clarinet, but after hearing the music of Stan Getz,
Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and other jazz greats, he was ready to commit fully to jazz and the tenor saxophone. His talent and passion for jazz quickly became apparent, as he won a number of awards and scholarships, including the
Louis Armstrong Jazz Award and The Presidential Arts Scholarship at The George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, DC.
Washington, DC proved to be a vital training ground for Kantor, who studied History during the day at GWU and played in the D.C. jazz clubs at night. There, Kantor performed extensively with the Matt Grason Quintet, Origem, and other groups and made appearances with
Wynton Marsalis, The
Glenn Miller Orchestra,
Neil Sedaka and
Carol Channing at famous DC venues like HR-57, Blues Alley, Lisner Auditorium, and the Kennedy Center.
Kantor graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in History from GWU in 2006 and was the recipient of the
Barry Manilow Award for Excellence in Music. Though jazz remained the focus, Kantor tried his hand at classical composition and performed as a guest clarinetist with the Bermuda Philharmonic during this time. Immediately after graduating from GWU, Kantor moved to New York to pursue a Master's Degree in Jazz Performance and Composition at NYU where he will graduate in 2010. Recently, Kantor played clarinet in Kenny Werner's new large ensemble recording "No Beginning, No End," which will be released on Half Note Records in 2010.
