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Saxophonist, vocalist,
composer and arranger, Lance Bryant comes out of Markham, Illinois, a
small town near Chicago. He received his formal music education at
Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where he studied saxophone and,
composition and arranging. During his tenure at Berklee, Lance fostered
musical relationships with fellow classmates, saxophonists Branford
Marsalis and Greg Osby, drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith,
trumpeter Wallace Roney, pianist Cyrus Chestnut and other renowned
musicians. After graduation in 1983, Lance returned to IL to further his
real world experience while exploring the Chicago music scene. He
ultimately made the move to New York City in 1985.
In that same year, Lance received a National Endowment for the Arts
Study Fellowship, which enabled him to study saxophone and arranging
privately with Frank Foster, the former director of the Count Basie
Orchestra. As a freelance artist in the late 1980s, Lance performed,
toured and recorded with Steve Coleman, Monte Croft, Graham Haynes, and
Lonnie Plaxico.
Lance has rounded out his
professional experience by teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation at
New York City's famed JazzMobile and began his decade-long relationship
with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. In 1993, Lance became the Orchestra's
Musical Director and Principal Arranger – a role in which he served
for seven years. In 1998, Lance added "producer" to his list
of musical credits with the release of Hamp's 90th Birthday Celebration
CD on GEM Records. In addition to his international and national touring
schedule with Lionel Hampton, Lance also made his film debut in Spike
Lee's Malcolm X and traveled extensively with Phyllis Hyman, Jon
Hendricks, Pete "LaRocca" Sims, Wallace Roney, Abdulah Ibrahim,
Bootsy Collins and others.
Throughout his music
career, Lance's talents as an arranger, composer, saxophonist or
vocalist have been featured on many projects. Most notable are: For the
Love of Jazz on Mojazz Records (Lionel Hampton) on which he arranged the
Stevie Wonder tune, Don't You Worry ‘Bout A Thing for the late Tito
Puente, Swingin' Live and Buddha Boogie on Swing46 Records (George Gee)
and Dem Bones and Simply Natural on MaxJazz Records (Carla Cook).
Recognizing the role that
his spirituality plays in the creation and expression of his work, Lance
currently serves as Director of Instrumental Music at Fountain Baptist
Church in Summit, NJ, where he and his family are members and where is
he committed to devoting his talent to the church.
"Lance Bryant is one
of the unsung heroes of the jazz world. I love his sound, his spirit,
his understanding of tradition, and his unflagging sense of swing. I've
always loved the way he sparked the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and it's
good to see him stepping out on his own."
-- Chip Defaa, jazz critic, New York Post
CD's
Lance's new CD, "Count It All Joy"
was recorded live in St. Peters ( The "Jazz Church") in NYC (includes
Mulgrew Miller on piano.)
Count It All Joy
Audio Samples
Testify
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Psalm |
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I Surrender All |
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Great Is Thy Faithfulness
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To purchase these CD's or
for more info about Lance Bryant visit:
www.lancebryant.com
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