George Young

George Ernest Young (7 October 1937 – 23 April 2026) was an American jazz saxophonist and flautist.

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. After leading his own band in the late 1950s, Young became a New York City session and studio musician in the 1960s and joined several line-ups including Mike Mainieri's jazz-rock big band White Elephant Orchestra, as well as later joining the Saturday Night Live Band.

In 1982, along with fellow saxophonists David Sanborn, Ronnie Cuber, Young was voted one of the Most Valued Players by the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences' annual awards edition.

Young has led his own quartets featuring Harold Danko, Rick Laird and Butch Miles (early 1980s) and another quartet, featuring Warren Bernhardt, Tony Marino and Tom Whaley (early 1990s).

Young died in California on 23 April 2026, at the age of 88.

Discography As leader 1962: Presenting the Unbelieveable George Young, Columbia Records CS 8681 1989: Old Times - Chiaroscuro Records CR(D) 307 1994: Salute (with Louie Bellson and Bobby Shew) - Chiaroscuro Records CR(D) 329

As sideman/session musician 1974: James Taylor - Walking Man 1976: Walter Murphy Band - A Fifth of Beethoven, Private Stock Records (Soprano, alto, tenor saxophone, and flute solos) 1977: Maynard Ferguson - Conquistador, Columbia Records 1977: Walter Bishop Jr. - Soul Village, Muse 1978: Quincy Jones - Sounds...and Stuff Like That!! 1979: Dr. John - City Lights, 1979: Ian Hunter - You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, Chrysalis 1984: Yoko Ono - Every Man Has a Woman, Polydor (Young plays on the track "Now or Never", recorded in 1972) 1996: Christy Baron - I Thought About You, Chesky