Since 1995, jazz saxophonist Anton Schwartz has drawn listeners in with his power, spirit, and subtle complexity of music. Anton Schwartz, 27, was renouncing the Harvard and Stanford high-level research on Artificial Intelligence. It was quite a career shift. Anton gained a loyal following quickly as he began his career as a musician. The San Francisco Chronicle recently praised Anton’s “warm, generous tone”, immaculately developed solos, and infectious performance energy. Anton has been a popular choice for critics and listeners at top-tier jazz venues all across the country over the years, including the Blue Note in New York and Washington D.C. Blues Alley. In addition to selling out crowds at Yoshi’s in San Francisco, and Oakland, one of his concerts was broadcast nationally on NPR’s JazzSet in December 2005 with Dee Dee Bridgewater. His four CDs have received a lot of praise and airplay. The most recent Radiant Blue reached the Top Five on the jazz radio charts. Anton is equally at home listening to great jazz standards than he is writing his own music. His own writing has received high praise. Anton states that music must combine intellect and groove to truly captivate him. Music that is able to get into your bones, your head, and your heart. Music that communicates something is what I strive to do. This includes rhythm, structure, melody, harmony, and interplay between them. Then, distill it into something beautiful and clear. Anton was born in 1967 in New York City. Anton began playing clarinet when he was twelve years old and moved to the saxophone when he was fourteen. His early interest in jazz was sparked by his mentorship of jazz legends Warne Marshall and Eddie Daniels. Anton, along with future stars Peter Bernstein, and Larry Goldings, formed a band in high school. He was able to experience the greatness of the big stage when he performed in concert with Woody Herman and Lionel Hampton. Anton went on to pursue other interests in college. He received a B.A. He graduated magna cum merite in 1989 from Harvard with a B.A. in Philosophy and Mathematics. Anton then went on to Stanford where, as a National Science Foundation Fellow, he performed doctoral research regarding Artificial Intelligence. Anton kept playing music throughout. After Joshua Redman and Don Braden, Anton held the first tenor stool in Harvard Jazz Band. Anton’s passion for jazz led him to a full-time career. He jumped into the San Francisco jazz scene in 1995, and it has remained his home throughout his travels across the country. Anton’s recordings and performances have been met with unending praise. Jazz Improv Magazine said Anton’s 2004 Christmas CD Holiday Time was “a superb album bubbling with an imaginative and sweet sounding playing–enjoyable all year.” Billboard Magazine said that Schwartz “savors each note and allows the listener enjoy the endless melodies made by his stirring improvisations.” Anton Schwartz’s 1998 debut CD, When Music Calls, was praised by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. It contained an appealing, consistent tone, a wealth of ideas that fuel his compositions as well as his improvisations, along with a superb selection of musical collaborators. Illinois Jacquet, a well-known saxophonist, said it best when he told Anton: “You play the tenor Sax like it’s meant be played.” Anton is a well-rounded professional and is highly sought after as a teacher. He is a Stanford Jazz Workshop faculty member and The Jazzschool instructor, where he has taught courses that range from “The Physics of Musical Sound” through “Improvising Eighth Note Lines”. He has also been a clinician at The Brubeck institute and Artist in Residence at Harvard University. It’s a great feeling to see people respond so enthusiastically to my music. Both jazz veterans and long-time fans of his music love his performances. Anton is a force to reckon with in modern jazz today and for many years to come. from http://www.antonjazz.com
