Joe Lovano

Joe Lovano is an American jazz saxophonist of Sicilian origin and the son of Tony 'Big T' Lovano who was responsible for teaching his son the elements of stagecraft and musicianship. Lovano Jr. began playing alto sax from a young age before eventually settling on the tenor sax as his primary instrument. In addition to the saxophone he also plays flute, clarinet and drums.

During the early stages of his career he played with artists such as Woodie Herman, Mel Lewis and Lonnie Smith. As a bandleader he has recorded almost thirty albums with his 1994 album 'Quartets: Live at Village Vanguard' and his Grammy Award-winning '52nd Street Themes' being amongst the most highly regarded by jazz enthusiasts.

As well as his own material he has been closely associated with the late Paul Motian with whom he played for many years, recording 17 albums with the highly respected drummer and bandleader. Lovano's most recent album has been the critically-acclaimed 'Trio Tapestry' which he released in 2019.