Photo: Anna Yatskevich / JOJO Records
“I’m not the master of the saxophone, George Garzone is.”
Photo: Anna Yatskevich / JOJO Records
New release · JOJO Records · Sept 11, 2026
Themes for Good Friends
A celebration of five decades of music and friendship, recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studio with an all-star quintet of bandleaders.
- George GarzoneTenor saxophone
- Randy BreckerTrumpet
- Luis PerdomoPiano
- Santi DebrianoBass
- Jeff “Tain” WattsDrums
Discography
Selected recordings
LP
- One Two Three Four2006
Press
DownBeatEd Enright · September 2026
“It’s the way George Garzone and his all-star quintet play that makes this studio recording feel so much like a live blow.”
“It passes the ‘listen to this album over and over all day’ test with flying colors.”
Read the DownBeat reviewCalendar
Upcoming performancesNew dates coming soon.
Biography
“One of the last of a legendary generation of prolific saxophonists that drew a first-hand and direct influence from John Coltrane.”
George Garzone has spent more than half a century searching for sound on the tenor saxophone. Born in Boston, he picked up the horn at six, played in his family’s band and studied at Berklee College of Music. In 1972 he co-founded The Fringe, the trio that still plays across Boston and New York and has toured the world.
He has performed and recorded with Joe Lovano, Jack DeJohnette, Danilo Pérez, Peter Erskine, John Patitucci and Rachel Z, and is a member of Lovano’s Grammy-winning Nonet. His recordings include Alone, a tribute to Stan Getz; Fours & Twos with Joe Lovano, awarded four stars by DownBeat; Moodiology; and Three Nights in L.A. with Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua and Darek Oles.
Garzone is also one of the most influential teachers in jazz. Through his Triadic Chromatic Approach and decades at Berklee, New England Conservatory, NYU and The New School, he has guided players including Joshua Redman, Mark Turner, Donny McCaslin, Seamus Blake, Chris Cheek, Luciana Souza, Danilo Pérez and Antonio Sánchez.
In 2026 he released Themes for Good Friends on JOJO Records, a quintet date with Randy Brecker, Luis Perdomo, Santi Debriano and Jeff “Tain” Watts, recorded at Van Gelder Studio.
Books
The Triadic Chromatic Approach
George Garzone’s Triadic Chromatic Approach method for jazz improvisation.
“The Triadic Chromatic Approach is a harmonic concept I have developed over the last 25 years of my playing and teaching career at Berklee College of Music. It allows the improviser to play freely over any set of chord changes, in any musical format.
Using the four triads (major, minor, augmented and diminished), the improvisation is supported by two devices: the triads and the chromatic approach. The triad, played randomly, and the chromatic system support the already stated harmonic flow of any standard tune, so the improviser understands what is involved in playing freely against any harmonic situation.”
Books
The Triadic Chromatic Approach
George Garzone’s approach to improvisation, written down. Five volumes for C, B♭, E♭ and bass clef instruments.
