Gail McArthur

Gail McArthur is one of a new generation of women saxophonists emerging in the world of jazz music. McArthur has performed with a plethora of noted jazz musicians including Benny Carter, Gerry Mulligan, Grover Washington, Don Cherry, Jackie McLean, Ciara Civello, Danny Gottileb, Ed Jackson, Ian Froman, Antonio Sanchez, Miguel Zenon, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Christian McBride, Maria Schneider, The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Vital Information - Steve Smith, Frank Gambale, Baron Browne and Tom Coster. Currently McArthur is working on a new project with Kenwood Dennard (drums), Baron Browne (bass) and Nina Ott (keys). ••••••••BIOGRAPHY•••••••• An immensely talented saxophonist from Scotland, Gail began playing tenor sax 14. Playing first with the Lanarkshire Concert band, then the Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra. SYJO’s first rehearsal was broadcast by Channel 4 Television on “Down the Line”. At 16, Gail studied with Tommy Smith (Scotland’s most prolific jazz saxophonist), Dan Haerle, Mike Tracy and Jerry Coker. Gail worked as a professional musician performing regularly with her own quartet at many of the major venues and festivals in Scotland, including the Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dunoon Jazz Festivals. Gail was the force behind Scotland’s first Brazilian style marching carnival band, “Brass Street”. Performing extensively at all the major summer festivals in Britain and recording “Brassed Off!” late in 1993. Also that year Gail formed the “Hot and Anxious Big Band”. Gail was the first British female tenor saxophonist to win a scholarship to the world renowned Berklee College of Music. There she had the opportunity to study with George Garzone, Frank Tiberi (Woody Herman band), Phil Wilson (Buddy Rich Band), Joe Viola, Billy Pierce (Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers) and Dino Govoni. She also appeared on the CNN Berklee television special as part of the Thelonious Monk Ensemble. Gail won several awards while at Berklee including the Woodwind Achievement Award and the Alex Ulanowsky Award for Harmony. Gail was the first British woman to graduate from Berklee with an Honors Degree in Jazz Performance. Gail has won a string of awards including the Princes Trust Award , Foundation for Sport & The Arts Award, The STUC James Milne Award , Scottish International Education Trust Award, (whose trustees include Sean Connery), The Cross Trust Award, Daily Record Hearts of Gold Award, East Kilbride Arts Council Awards, the Mary Patton Rowan Award and the Scottish Arts Council Artist Award. Gail also won the prestigious Cosmopolitan Magazine/American Express Award for the Performing Arts. In 1998 Gail was cast in “The Celtic Story” The play about a Scottish Soccer club opened in Glasgow to rave reviews and was performed in Dublin, Ireland before the Irish Prime Minister, Bertie O’Hearn. In 1999 and 2001 Gail was commissioned by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra as part of a series entitled “Famous Scots in History” and then a work entitled “Greyfriar’s Bobby” Also in 2001, Gail performed with the SNJO under the direction of Maria Schneider. Since 2002, Gail has been involved in music education, teaching on several VH1 Save the Music Programs and was interviewed for the CN8 “Nitebeat” show. In 2003, Gail was the first British woman to join the Faculty at Berklee College of Music.I edited my profile at Freeweblayouts.net , check out these Myspace Layouts!