MISSION:
Unity
A home away from social media for saxophonists of all shapes and sizes.
In the 21st Century, we must affirm the exceptionally personal nature of the creative process for each individual, while honoring and cherishing our creative communities.
There is a rich legacy of passion and creativity among saxophonists in Baltimore that’s been around longer than all of us who are currently living, working, and creating here. With so many dedicated folks making great music within so many concurrent musical scenes, it is easy to lose sight of that which brings us together.
Whether your background is in jazz, classical, pop, blues, rock, experimental, world music, or anything else — you deserve to be seen, heard, and celebrated for your dedication to the saxophone, at your current level of experience!
Looking to connect? Great — Make a profile!!
Do you teach? What is your specialty? Advertise!!
Looking for a teacher? You can find someone who fits your needs!
Looking for a saxophonist for your project? Check out people’s profiles, and reach out to someone who fits the bill!
Our History
For more than 100 years, Baltimore has been a bastion of powerful musical expression.
While musicians of various backgrounds and genres continue to make Baltimore a hotbed of creative musical energy to this day, there is a particularly rich saxophone legacy in Baltimore. With such “brand name” players as Gary Bartz, Gary Thomas, Antonio Hart, and Ellery Eskelin developing their sounds here before embarking on illustrious careers as world-class performers, educators, and recording artists, Baltimore has developed quite a reputation.
Important to the Baltimore saxophone legacy is the work done right here at home — in clubs, bars, concert halls, DIY spaces, and churches. The work that “local” players have been doing here for generations…pouring their souls into the music, setting a shining example for the generations to come. Players like Mickey Fields, Whit Williams, and Arnold Sterling (to name a few), laid a foundation for the current generation of adventurous saxophonists, whose creative voices lift the vibration of any room they play in. Others, such as John Dierker, Kevin Robinson, and John Berndt, forged new pathways into non-idiomatic improvisational territory, opening up the sonic spectrum to elements from jazz, classical, experimental, new music, rock, noise, world music, and beyond. The current musical landscape in Baltimore runs the full gamut, and we have many players from many backgrounds to thank for continuing to lay the groundwork for this. Saxophonists are bringing their creativity to any imaginable musical situation these days, and all of that is represented right here in town.
It is time we celebrate the saxophonists who are here making Baltimore a better place to live through their music, their vision, their teaching, and their passion.
We also boast several local universities with strong music programs, including the famed Peabody Conservatory, which is right in the heart of the historic Mt Vernon Arts and Cultural District. Year after year, new saxophonists graduate from the walls of these institutions with their own story to tell, eager to spread love and light into the world…the future is in good hands.
With that said, there have always been DROVES of self-taught saxophone players in Baltimore who bring BIG energy to any event they’re playing, and these folks deserve just as much love as the folks who are devoted professionals, artists, and craftspeople.
Love, Joy, and Passion for our music is a defining characteristic of ALL Baltimore-based saxophonists, and I am happy to make this effort to unite us all — students, teachers, professionals, and more.
With Love and Light!
— Derrick Michaels (Founder, Baltimoresaxophone.org)
Founder
Derrick Michaels
Baltimore-based tenor saxophonist Derrick Michaels is an inexorable force in the creative music community. As a performer, teacher, recording artist, and advocate for musical creativity, his focus is on opening up the field for musicians of all levels and backgrounds to express their music with depth, sincerity, and intention.
Over the years, many important musical relationships have developed with the likes of Ellery Eskelin, Susan Alcorn, Michael Formanek, Dave Ballou, John Dierker, Zach Swanson, Eric Kennedy, Mike Kuhl, Jon Seligman, Theljon Allen, Alex Weber, Jeff Reed, Phil Cunneff, Ben Frock, Chris Pumphrey, and a growing list of phenomenal creative musicians within the broader community.
What I do:
I’m an improviser, composer, bandleader in a wide variety of contexts. I’m deadly serious about tone production, lyricism, and egalitarian creativity on stage. My approach is ceaselessly evolving, and steeped in tradition while deriving deep inspiration from the energy of my peer group.
“Derrick Michaels is an outstanding musician, with a beautiful concept of sharing this music with so many people to bring us together, and to make us appreciate what we all have within.”
-Robert Shahid, host “Masterclass” WEAA
As a Leader: Derrick Michaels Trio, The Great Unfolding, Born From Silence, Marrow Quartet, Michaels/Weber/Kuhl, Trio Xolo, Talking Points, Derrick Michaels Trio, “Posture of Possibility”, and more…
As a Sideperson: Out of Your Head Collective, Phil Cunneff New Trio, Chris Pumphrey Sextet and “Music For Quiet Spaces”, Ben Frock’s “Love Unit Orchestra”, Theljon Allen’s Universal Language, Colin Renick’s “Kinetic Renick”, Station North Jazz Orchestra, Charm City Brass Band, Jazz Lunch, Baltimore Boom Bap Society, and more…
Teacher: Process-oriented creative guidance for musicians of all experience levels. (Established in 2003)
baltimoresaxophone.com for more information