Wayne Escoffery

Wayne Escoffery (born 23 February 1975) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Performing history Since 2000, he has been working in New York City with Carl Allen, Eric Reed, and the Mingus Big Band. Other musicians performed with include Ralph Peterson Jr., Ben Riley, Ron Carter, Rufus Reid, Bill Charlap, Bruce Barth, Jimmy Cobb, and Eddie Henderson. He has worked with vocalists including Mary Stallings, Cynthia Scott, Nancie Banks, LaVerne Butler, and Carolyn Leonhart. In addition to performing with his own Quartet featuring David Kikoski, Ugonna Okegwo, and Ralph Peterson, Escoffery currently performs and tours with Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet, the Mingus Band, Ron Carter's big band, Monty Alexander, Amina Figarova, and others. He has been a member of the Tom Harrell Quintet since 2006. He has also co-produced four of Harrell's latest recordings.

Biography Born in London, Wayne and his mother Patricia Escoffery emigrated to the United States and settled in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1986. He attended ACES Educational Center for the Arts high school. As of 2020, they are no longer married. Together they have one child, and have collaborated on many performances, and appear together on several albums.

In 2014, Escoffery won the 62nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll for rising star on the tenor saxophone and in 2010 won a Grammy with the Mingus Big Band. In 2016, he was appointed Lecturer in Jazz Improvisation and Combo Instructor at the Yale School of Music.

Discography As leader Times Change (Nagel Heyer, 2001) Intuition (Nagel Heyer, 2004) Veneration (Savant, 2007) Hopes and Dreams (Savant, 2008) Uptown (Posi-Tone, 2009) The Only Son of One (Sunnyside, 2012) Live at Firehouse 12 (Sunnyside, 2014) Live at Smalls (SmallsLIVE, 2015) Vortex (Sunnyside, 2018) The Humble Warrior (Smoke Sessions, 2020) Like Minds (Smoke Sessions, 2023)

As sideman With Tom Harrell Light On (HighNote, 2007) Prana Dance (HighNote, 2009) Roman Nights (HighNote, 2010) The Time of the Sun (HighNote, 2011) Number Five (HighNote, 2012) Colors of a Dream (HighNote, 2013) First Impressions (HighNote, 2015)

With Black Art Jazz Collective Presented By The Side Door Jazz Club (Sunnyside, 2016) Armor of Pride (HighNote, 2018) Ascension (HighNote, 2020) Truth To Power (HighNote, 2024)

With others Monty Alexander, Wareika Hill: Rasta-Monk Vibrations (MACD, 2019) Nancie Banks, Out of It (GFI, 2001) Noah Baerman, Playdate (Posi-Tone, 2009) Pat Bianchi, Back Home (Doodlin, 2010) Pat Bianchi, Something To Say: The Music of Stevie Wonder (Savant, 2021) Steve Davis, Correlations (Smoke Sessions, 2019) Amina Figarova, Blue Whisper (In+Out, 2015) Amina Figarova, Road to the Sun (AmFi, 2018) John Hasselback III, Entrance (Hasselcastle, 2021) Frank Lacy, Mingus Sings (Sunnyside, 2015) Carolyn Leonhart, New 8th Day (Sunnyside, 2004) Carolyn Leonhart, If Dreams Come True (Nagel Heyer, 2007) Carolyn Leonhart, Tides of Yesterday (Savant, 2010) Joe Locke, Force of Four (Origin, 2008) Mingus Big Band, Tonight at Noon...Three or Four Shades of Love (Dreyfus, 2002) Mingus Big Band, I Am Three (Sue Mingus Music, 2005) Mingus Big Band, Live at Jazz Standard (Sue Mingus Music, 2010) Lonnie Plaxico, Rhythm & Soul (Sirocco Music, 2003) Eric Reed, Happiness (Nagel Heyer, 2001) Ben Riley, Memories of T (Concord Jazz, 2006) Ben Riley, Grown Folks Music (Sunnyside, 2012) Avi Rothbard, Twin Song (MidLantic, 2005) Avi Rothbard, Standard Solo And Duet Sketches (Rothbard Music/RM Records, 2016) Randy Sandke, Jazz for Juniors (Arbors, 2009) Joris Teepe, In the Spirit of Rashied Ali (Jazz Tribes, 2018) Akiko Tsuruga, NYC Serenade (Mojo [jp], 2008)