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Take Five With Joe Albano
Meet Joe Albano:Joe Albano, a native of Boston, MA, began his instrumental studies at 14 with local hometown hero, saxophonist Ray DeNice. Quickly gravitating to the saxophone, and ignoring all logic and reason, he attended the Berklee College of Music in Sept of 2000. He graduated in 2005 and holds a B.A. in Professional Music. His performance studies were with such luminaries as saxophonists
George Garzone
saxophone, tenorb.1950
Joe Lovano
drumsb.1952
Harry Skoler
clarinet
JoAnne Brackeen
pianob.1938
Dave Samuels
vibraphone1948 - 2019
Over the years, Joe has developed an extremely eclectic and vastly unique improvisational/compositional style that spans not only the jazz and creative music realms, but also carries tinges of rock, heavy metal, classical European art music and modern art music. His style combines extreme technical virtuosity with guttural, raw emotional content.
Instrument(s):
Saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon, EWI.
Teachers and/or influences?
Teachers: Ray DeNice, George Garzone, Harry Skoler, Joe Lovano.
I knew I wanted to be a musician when...
I saw an ad on tv for the local smooth jazz radio station and saw a guy playing sax. Something clicked in my head and I decided then and there that I was going to play the sax. Of course, my music sounds nothing like that now. Weird...
Your teaching approach:
Get them to stop staring listlessly into space, drooling on themselves. After that, we put the instrument together...
Your dream band:
I can do this one and be halfway serious!
The dead guys:
Myself (obviously); 
Frank Zappa
guitar, electric
1940 - 1993
Tony Williams
drums
1945 - 1997
Alive:
Me (duh), Steve Ruel: reeds; Aki Ishiguro: guitar; Nick Jozwiak: bass; Dave Cole: drums. My band is my dream band!
The first Jazz album I bought was:
Paul Desmond/Gerry Mulligan, Two of a Mind.
CDs you are listening to now:
Tyshawn Sorey
drums
b.1980
Joe Albano, Open the Gate and Flood the Valley (Self Produced);
McCoy Tyner
piano
1938 - 2020
Frank Zappa, Jazz From Hell (Barking Pumpkin).
How would you describe the state of jazz today?
A bunch of dead guys.
What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?
Forget about the dead guys and concentrate on those that are alive and trying to actually create new sounds.
What is in the near future?
Me trying not to loose my mind!
By Day:
I work in a coffee shop.
If I weren't a jazz musician, I would be a:
Heavy metal guitarist/lead singer.
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About Albano the Madman
Instrument: Saxophone, baritone
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