The Artist
As one of the emerging talents of his generation, Los Angeles-based saxophonist Chase Baird has become increasingly recognized for his creative, passionate and original voice as a jazz improviser and composer. His tour-de-force improvisations and artful approach to composition have placed him at the forefront of the vibrant Southern California music scene.
Chase was born in Seattle, Washington, where he spent many of his formative years. Later on, his father’s work took his family to Salt Lake City and eventually to the San Francisco area. He began playing the saxophone at an early age and progressed rapidly. By the time he was eleven, he was serious about playing jazz and those who heard him described him as having a mature sound well beyond his years. Chase’s playing was simple, natural and unassuming, and always left his audiences asking for more.
In recent years, Chase has had the opportunity to perform across the globe in cities ranging from New York to Tokyo. In 2006, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (NFAA) selected the saxophonist to be part of its Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship, an honor that has been awarded to present day luminaries Harry Connick, Jr., and Roy Hargrove. In the same year, Downbeat Magazine awarded him “Best Original Composition†as well as “Best Pop, Rock and Blues Soloist.†Recently, Chase's talents as a multi-woodwind recording artist can be heard on various recording projects for film (Emancipated), television (Coca-cola) and independent records. Recently, Chase has started to forge a unique style on instruments beyond saxophone, such as the flute and EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument).
