The Boss Baritones

Inspired by the rich history of the great 2-tenor pairings in jazz (think Lester Young

& Herschel Evans, Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt, Lockjaw Davis & Johnny

Griffin, and Al Cohn & Zoot Sims), the Boss Baritones continue this tradition, but

with the pairing of the tenor saxophone's lower pitched baritone brethren.

So who are these "Boss Baritones?" Locking horns in the front line are two of

today's finest exponents and practitioners of the baritone saxophone in jazz: Gary

Smulyan and Frank Basile.

Gary Smulyan has been steadily polishing his craft for over 40 years and is all but

unanimously regarded as today's leading baritone saxophonist. Since filling the

baritone chair in Woody Herman's Young Thundering Herd in 1978, Smulyan has

gone on to perform with virtually every important name in jazz since. A sampling

of this lofty company includes the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, the Gene Harris

Superband, B.B. King, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Michel Camilo, the

Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Cedar Walton, Joe Lovano, George Coleman, the Mingus

Big Band, and Dave Holland. A favorite of critics and peers alike, Smulyan has

consistently topped polls in Downbeat, Jazz Times, and with the Jazz Journalists

Association for the past two decades. Smulyan is a 6-time Grammy winner.

Frank Basile made his way on to the New York scene in 2001 after his studies at

the University of North Texas and a brief stint at the Juilliard School. He has since

forged his own path following in the footsteps of his mentors such as Smulyan.

Dubbed a "prized sideman" by The New Yorker, Basile has been called upon to

perform with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band,

the Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Bob Mintzer Big Band, the Jon Faddis Jazz

Orchestra, the Christian McBride Big Band, the Count Basie Orchestra, and the

Duke Ellington Orchestra. As a "rising star," Basile has consistently appeared in

the Downbeat critic's poll since 2014.

The Boss Baritones made their debut the weekend of March 6-7, 2020 at Smalls

Jazz Club in New York City. This was an auspicious start for the band, but one

week later, the Coronavirus pandemic would officially put it all on hold. Since the

easing of restrictions and the return of normal aspects to life, the Boss Baritones

have been regaining their momentum with performances in the New York City area

(including numerous return engagements at Smalls) as well as an upcoming

eponymous debut recording on Steeplechase Records.