Nick Brignola

Nicholas Thomas "Nick" Brignola (July 17, 1936 – February 8, 2002) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.

Biography Brignola was born on July 17, 1936, in Troy, New York. He was born into a musical family in which his father played the tuba and his uncle played the banjo. As a mostly self-taught musician, he developed his facility on all of his instruments using unconventional techniques, which gave his playing an unmatched fluidity. At the age of 11 he began playing the clarinet and in years to come he picked up the alto and tenor saxophones as well as the flute. At the age of 20 he dropped his alto saxophone off to be repaired, and the only horn the shop had to loan him was the baritone sax. After that, the baritone sax became his main, but not only instrument.

While studying education at Ithaca College in New York, Brignola and some of his fellow students made a recording, which won a 1957 DownBeat award for the best college group of the year.

Discography As leader This Is It! (Priam, 1967) Baritone Madness (Bee Hive, 1978) L.A. Bound (Sea Breeze, 1979) New York Bound (Interplay, 1979) Burn Brigade (Bee Hive, 1980) Signals...in from Somewhere (Discovery, 1983) Northern Lights (Discovery, 1984) Raincheck (Reservoir, 1988) On a Different Level (Reservoir, 1990) What it Takes (Reservoir, 1991) It's Time (Reservoir, 1992) Live at Sweet Basil First Set (Reservoir, 1993) Like Old Times (Reservoir, 1994) Nick Brignola & the Endangered Species (Hang, 1994) The Flight of the Eagle (Reservoir, 1996) Poinciana (Reservoir, 1998) Spring Is Here (Koch 1998) All Business (Reservoir, 1999) D.E.W. East Meets Nick Brignola (Cornerstone, 2001) Tour de Force (Reservoir, 2001) Things Ain't What They Used to Be (Reservoir, 2003)

As sideman With Ted Curson Jubilant Power (Inner City, 1976) Quicksand (Atlantic, 1977) Snake Johnson (Chiaroscuro, 1981)

With Sal Salvador You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet! (Dauntless, 1963) Starfingers (Bee Hive, 1978) In Our Own Sweet Way (Stash, 1983) Plays Gerry Mulligan (Stash, 1985)

With others Dick Berk, More Birds Less Feathers (Discovery, 1986) Dick Berk, Music of Rodgers & Hart (Trend, 1993) David Friesen, Waterfall Rainbow (Inner City, 1977) Woody Herman, Woody Herman 1964 (Philips, 1964) Frank Mantooth, Sophisticated Lady (Sea Breeze, 1995) Mingus Dynasty, Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 1 (Soul Note, 1989) Mingus Dynasty, Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 2 (Soul Note, 1993) Tisziji Munoz, Live Again! At Page Hall with Nick Brignola (Anami Music, 1994) Sal Nistico, Neo/Nistico (Bee Hive, 1978) Claudio Roditi, Free Wheelin (Reservoir, 1994) Phil Woods, Evolution (Concord, 1988) Phil Woods, Real Life (Chesky, 1991) Tony Purrone, "In The Heath Zone" (SteepleChase ,1997)