Alto and soprano saxophonist Laura Macdonald is one of Scotland’s leading
jazz musicians and has a fast developing international reputation as a performer,
composer and recording artist.As well as leading her own groups - including her International Sextet with
Donny McAslin, Antonio Sanchez, Steve Hamilton, Claus Stotter and Gildas Bocle
- Laura has worked with such internationally respected musicians as George
Russell, Carla Bley, Arturo Sandoval, Bobby Watson, Joe Lovano, Dennis Chambers,
Buster Williams, Steve Swallow, Victor Lewis, Maria Schneider, Tommy Smith,
Guy Barker and Lars Danielsson.BIOGRAPHYLaura began playing alto saxophone at the age of sixteen at school in
Prestwick, Ayrshire. Her progress was swift. Within months she was playing lead
alto in the Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra and gaining her first international
experience, performing with SYJO at Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.Two years later, she began studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and
Drama in Glasgow, turning professional at the same time and making regular
appearances with her band at jazz festivals, clubs and concerts.In 1995, having attracted the attention of Dean of Students, Larry Bethune,
on a visit to Glasgow, Laura was given a full scholarship to Berklee School of Music
in Boston. She studied with George Garzone and graduated in 1997 having won the school’s annual Excellence in Performance award.Laura was nominated for the Outstanding Performer prize at Glasgow
International Jazz Festival in 1996 and became the first winner of the Scottish Young
Jazz Musician of the Year award in 1997.In 1998, Laura became lead alto player in the Scottish National Jazz
Orchestra, playing the music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charles Mingus, Miles Da
vis and Gil Evans and contributing her composition Royal Mile to the
orchestra’s The Edinburgh Suite. She also occupied the lead alto chair in an all-star
Ellington Big Band alongside former Ellington musicians Buster Cooper and Barry
Lee Hall in Switzerland in 2000.She released her first album, Laura, on Spartacus Records in 2000. Recorded
in New York with a heavyweight American trio comprising David Budway (piano),
James Genus (bass) and Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts (drums), it featured Laura’s own
compositions alongside well-known pieces by Charles Mingus and Pat Metheny and
received very favourable reviews.Her second album 'Awakenings' featured Laura’s
International Sextet playing music she composed for the group’s highly successful
initial tour in summer 2003.Outside of her playing, composing and recording interests, Laura holds a
number of educational posts. Director of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland 2001-03, and tutor for South Lanarkshire Council from 2002-05 as well as numerous annual jazz education courses2005 has seen Laura win a 'Take Five' initiative award funded by the Jerwood Foundation. Her next project sees her performing a new specially commissioned Octet piece at the London Jazz Festival in November.Laura continues to strive forward as one of the U.K's most prominent women in Jazz.
Myspace Layouts by Pimp-My-Profile.com
