Anthony Arnold "Tony" Dagradi (born September 22, 1952) is an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
saxophonist.
Biography
Dagradi was born in New York City, and began playing alto saxophone when he was eight years old. In his professional career, he has primarily played tenor and soprano saxophone. He studied under
Pepper Adams
Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...
,
Andy McGhee,
Kidd Jordan
Edward "Kidd" Jordan (born May 5, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist and music educator from New Orleans, Louisiana.
After completing a music degree at Southern University in Baton Rouge, he relocated to New Orleans. He taught at Southern Un ...
, and
Tony Aless in his youth, and was a student at
Berklee College of Music (1970-1972). The following year he founded the ensemble Inner Visions, which included
Ed Schuller
Edwin Gunther Schuller (January 11, 1955) is an American jazz bassist and composer. His father is Gunther Schuller, a composer, horn player, and music professor, and his younger brother is drummer George Schuller.
Career
A native of New York Ci ...
and
Gary Valente as sidemen. After touring with
Archie Bell and the Drells
Archie Bell & the Drells was an American R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas, and one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records. The band's hits include " Tighten Up", "I Can't Stop Dancing" (both 19 ...
, he relocated to New Orleans in 1977 and freelanced regularly with jazz and blues musicians in the city. He was a member of
Professor Longhair's touring band in the final years of Longhair's life, touring the United States and Europe and recording with him on the album ''
Crawfish Fiesta''. In 1978 he cofounded
Astral Project, a group which has been active on the New Orleans jazz scene for over forty years. In the 1980s he worked with
Ramsey McLean,
Carla Bley, and
Bobby McFerrin
Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...
. He earned a bachelor's degree at
Loyola in 1986 and a master's degree at
Tulane
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...
in 1990.
[Gary W. Kennedy, "Tony Dagradi". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd edition, ed. Barry Kernfeld.] In the 1990s he worked with, among others,
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison Jr. (November 11, 1927 – November 15, 2016) was an American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz, both singing and playing piano. After moving to N ...
and
Ellis Marsalis, and is now professor of music at Loyola.
References
1952 births
American jazz saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Living people
Loyola University New Orleans alumni
Loyola University New Orleans faculty
Jazz musicians from New York City
Tulane University alumni
21st-century American saxophonists
21st-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
American people of Italian descent
Astral Project members
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