Sax Gordon
No other performer on the scene today brings to life and pushes forward the great tradition of American R&B Sax like Sax Gordon.
From an early start in garage bands, church groups, jazz combos and big bands in northern California, Gordon graduated to work and record with Bay-Area Blues giant Johnny Heartsman. After relocating to the East coast, five years and many recordings with Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson established Gordon on the international scene. With Luther's encouragement, Gordon continued to develop his signature style, hard-blowing, exciting, gutsy sax steeped in the traditions of Blues and Soul
Gordon then recorded and toured extensively with Matt "Guitar" Murphy as well as with the Duke Robillard Band with whom he also backed Blues and Swing greats Jimmy Witherspoon and Jay McShann on tours and recordings. International tours with Roomful of Blues, Junior Watson, John Hammond, Sherman Robertson, Toni Lynn Washington, and Soul legend Solomon Burke followed, while at home Gordon was being called upon to play with a who's who of American Blues and Soul music greats, including Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Little Milton, Ben E. King, Hubert Sumlin, Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave), Johnny Johnson, Howard Tate, Martha Reeves, and Johnny Copeland among others. Modern masters have also benefited from Gordon's unique sound, as heard on CDs by Kim Wilson, Bryan Lee, Paul Oscher, Jerry Portnoy, Watermelon Slim, Ron Levy, and David Maxwell, but perhaps itʼs Gordon's ability to conjure up the style and feeling of past R&B sax masters that led to his being featured as soloist on albums by legends such as Champion Jack Dupree, Jimmy McGriff, Charles Brown, Pinetop Perkins, Billy Boy Arnold, and Rosco Gordon
After releasing his first CD - Have Horn Will Travel (Rounder/Bullseye) Gordon began leading his own bands and appearing as a special guest in the USA and Europe and has now been featured at clubs and festivals in Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Russia, Denmark, Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Scandinavia, Chile, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates.
Four more CDs followed - You Knock Me Out (Rounder/Bullseye), Live at the Sax Blast (Rounder Europe/Me & My Blues), SHOWTIME! (Continental Blue Heaven), and In The Wee Small Hours (Delmark) and more international tours, further establishing Gordon on the international circuit. Along the way Gordon won the Trophees France Blues (Instruments Divers) in 1998 and 2005, received W.C. Handy Blues Award nominations in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, and Blues Foundation Blues Award nominations in 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Currently Gordon can be found leading his own groups worldwide. The Sax Gordon Band plays rockin' R&B, Blues and Soul, sometimes with a full horn section, while another group, Sax Gordon & the Little Town Rockers specializes in Jump Blues and Swing. Gordon continues to appear as a special guest with groups all over the globe, conducts clinics at schools and festivals and also works as a sideman, backing both established performers and up-and-coming artists.
From an early start in garage bands, church groups, jazz combos and big bands in northern California, Gordon graduated to work and record with Bay-Area Blues giant Johnny Heartsman. After relocating to the East coast, five years and many recordings with Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson established Gordon on the international scene. With Luther's encouragement, Gordon continued to develop his signature style, hard-blowing, exciting, gutsy sax steeped in the traditions of Blues and Soul
Gordon then recorded and toured extensively with Matt "Guitar" Murphy as well as with the Duke Robillard Band with whom he also backed Blues and Swing greats Jimmy Witherspoon and Jay McShann on tours and recordings. International tours with Roomful of Blues, Junior Watson, John Hammond, Sherman Robertson, Toni Lynn Washington, and Soul legend Solomon Burke followed, while at home Gordon was being called upon to play with a who's who of American Blues and Soul music greats, including Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Little Milton, Ben E. King, Hubert Sumlin, Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave), Johnny Johnson, Howard Tate, Martha Reeves, and Johnny Copeland among others. Modern masters have also benefited from Gordon's unique sound, as heard on CDs by Kim Wilson, Bryan Lee, Paul Oscher, Jerry Portnoy, Watermelon Slim, Ron Levy, and David Maxwell, but perhaps itʼs Gordon's ability to conjure up the style and feeling of past R&B sax masters that led to his being featured as soloist on albums by legends such as Champion Jack Dupree, Jimmy McGriff, Charles Brown, Pinetop Perkins, Billy Boy Arnold, and Rosco Gordon
After releasing his first CD - Have Horn Will Travel (Rounder/Bullseye) Gordon began leading his own bands and appearing as a special guest in the USA and Europe and has now been featured at clubs and festivals in Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Russia, Denmark, Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Scandinavia, Chile, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates.
Four more CDs followed - You Knock Me Out (Rounder/Bullseye), Live at the Sax Blast (Rounder Europe/Me & My Blues), SHOWTIME! (Continental Blue Heaven), and In The Wee Small Hours (Delmark) and more international tours, further establishing Gordon on the international circuit. Along the way Gordon won the Trophees France Blues (Instruments Divers) in 1998 and 2005, received W.C. Handy Blues Award nominations in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, and Blues Foundation Blues Award nominations in 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Currently Gordon can be found leading his own groups worldwide. The Sax Gordon Band plays rockin' R&B, Blues and Soul, sometimes with a full horn section, while another group, Sax Gordon & the Little Town Rockers specializes in Jump Blues and Swing. Gordon continues to appear as a special guest with groups all over the globe, conducts clinics at schools and festivals and also works as a sideman, backing both established performers and up-and-coming artists.
