Andy Middleton

"Middleton is “an accomplished composer as well as a smart post-bop tenor saxophonist.” New York Times, USA“Here is improvising and writing in its best form - really pretty amazing!” Michael Brecker“Andy Middleton represents the best of a new generation of jazz musicians.” David Liebman“There is one soloist who truly stands apart from the rest of the crowd, and that is Andy Middleton …, a wonderful, ingenious, melodic musician….” Saxophone Journal, USA“Andy Middleton affirms himself not only as a saxophone player but as a first class composer/arranger.” JAZZ Magazine, FranceAward-winning saxophonist, composer, educator and bandleader ANDY MIDDLETON has been garnering attention for years for his imaginative, sincere, lyrical and adventurous solos which never resort to cliché or empty virtuosic display. Saxophone Journal explains that Middleton “is a great example of a ‘best kept secret’, a wonderful, ingenious, melodic musician whose playing is often ‘under the radar’ and under-recognized by the media”, while Jazz’n More of Switzerland has noted that “Each single tone comes from his heart”.In recognition of his compositional acheivments Jazz Times has written that “Middleton ... writes in a broadly euphonious harmonic language, with a natural tunefulness that engages the ear with exotic airs”, Minor7th.com asserts that “Middleton’s compositional skill is on par with Ralph Towner,” and JAZZ Magazine of France declares that Middleton is “a first class composer/arranger.” Time Out New York has written that he is “an ace saxophonist, a generously skilled arranger and a socially dedicated artist”, while the New York Times hails Middleton as “an accomplished composer as well as a smart post-bop tenor saxophonist.”After 20 years in New York City, Middleton has moved to Vienna, Austria, where he is the professor of Jazz Composition and Arranging at the Konservatorium Wien.Some other comments:By the way, I'm still listening to Nomad's Notebook a lot. It's one of my favorite CDs and I have a lot of CDs! It is possible that I listened to it more than anyone else! Something about it... - BARRY HARTGLASS, New York City-based composer, bassist, producer and recording engineerThe best jazz is recorded live. I am loving your CD, thanks a lot!!! The cats are swinging their asses off (and I get tears in my eyes listening to Alan’s cymbalwork...) and you sound absolutely marvelous! Especially your soprano sound is absolutely killing. Great tunes, hip chord changes and beautiful melodic and rhythmic inventions. Their is really nothing left for me - that's how modern jazz should be! - HEINRICH VON KALNEIN, Graz, Austria-based saxophonist, flautist, composer, arranger, producer, and professor of saxophone at the Kunstuniversität Graz