Jim Snidero

Join us in welcoming world class alto saxophonist, Jim Snidero, to BLU for this first performance in Akron, OH, on Saturday, November 14th!

Grammy award-winning alto saxophonist, composer and author Jim Snidero has been hailed as an “alto sax virtuoso” (Downbeat) with “mind-boggling” improvisation skills (The Guardian), amassing over 20 million streams on Spotify and Apple. In 2024 he reached the pinnacle of the jazz world, placing top 5 alto saxophone in the preeminent Downbeat Magazine International Critics Poll.

Doors: 7:00pm

Show: 8:00pm

Tickets: General Admission ($25 in advance, $30 at the door)

About:

Originally from Maryland, Snidero moved to New York in 1981 and began sideman stints with Brother Jack McDuff, Frank Sinatra (recording Duets 2), the Mingus Big Band, Eddie Palmieri, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Sting and Brian Lynch, appearing as a featured soloist on Lynch’s Grammy-winning The Omni-American Book Club. His 27 leader albums include 1989’s Blue Afternoon, later included in The Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of the Music in the 1001 Best Albums; the 2003 self-composed and arranged orchestral Strings on Milestone Records, hailed as a “masterpiece” by the San Francisco Guardian; the Korean-inspired Project-K; and Live at the Deer Head Inn.

Recent years have brought some of the strongest recognition of Snidero’s career. Live at the Deer Head Inn received a five-star 2020 best-of-year “masterpiece” review from DownBeat, while 2024’s chordless trio album For All We Know earned 41⁄2 stars from AllMusic and further acclaim from DownBeat and Stereophile. Snidero’s quartet is a regular on tour circuits throughout Europe and the US. Jim Snidero’s performance at Jazz Blue will feature original music from his new release “House of Trane”, inspired by a visit to John Coltrane’s house on Long Island.

Press Quotes-

“Alto Saxophone Virtuoso”- Downbeat Magazine

“Snidero had let his influences reveal something special”- The Times

“ An alto saxophone sound that is one of the richest and purest on the planet”-

Stereophile Magazine

"Mind-boggling, and, at the same time hugely enjoyable (improvisation)”- The Guardian

“Genuinely significant figure in jazz composition”- Penguin Guide to Jazz