When told he was called a tenor saxophone legend by the Peabody Institute, George Garzone was silent for a moment before responding.
“When you get to my age, you let them call you whatever they want,” he laughed.
This tenor saxophone “legend” will be performing with the Peabody Jazz Orchestra this Friday under the direction of Michael Formanek.
“Formanek is a good friend of mine,” Garzone said. “And I look forward to the gig.”
Garzone, 56, has been playing the tenor sax since he was 9 years old. Touring Europe, he has played with such jazz greats as Danilo Perez and Joe Lavano. As a master of improvisation, he is a founding member of The Fringe, a jazz trio formed in 1972 that includes bassist John Lockwood and drummer Bob Gullotti. A veteran of numerous recordings, Garzone is a member of the Grammy-winning Joe Lovano Nonet.
Michael Formanek, himself a bassist, has been on the Peabody faculty since 2002. He, too, looks forward to the gig.
“We have George Garzone plugging into some music we?ve been working on, compositions meant for improvising,” he said. “I tried to pick [pieces] that George can take off on.”
Jazz musicians have always drawn on the music of the time, and the Peabody Jazz Orchestra boasts a large repertoire, which includes music written by and for artists such as Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie.
The Jazz Orchestra is composed of 26 students, with 14 to 17 players performing at any given time. In traditional big band fashion, there are four trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones and a rhythm section.
“I think the students are a little nervous but excited,” said Formanek. “Garzone has such an impact on the jazz world, it will be good that they get a chance to meet him and work with him.”
IF YOU GO
Peabody Jazz Orchestra with George Garzone
» Venue: East Hall, Peabody Institute, 17 E. Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore
» Time: 7:30 p.m. Friday
» Tickets: $18, $10 for seniors, $8 for students; available through the Peabody Box Office at 410-659-8100, ext. 2
