Multi-award winning saxophonist/composer/educator Jacam Manricks....

CD Review for Jacam Manricks' Album 'Labyrinth'

"...Elegance is in a word the essence of this wondrous CD project!! And, saxophonist Jacam Manricks has succeeded in plying this to us his listener-audience-ship. Jazz meets the classics nicely thank you with Jacam's use of both a solid jazz quintet and a chamber orchestra,(strings, et al) to effect his musical offerings to us. His compositions using these two musical idioms results in both a striking and compelling sojourn into jazz and his original musical ideas. This project is a remarkable testament to the prodigious virtuosity of both Jacam and the bevy of supra-talented musicians he chose for the disc. We are fortunate to be recipients of Jacam's vision of music with his extemporized polyphonic original compositions..................And we must revel in it's artistic self-sufficiency. Encore! Encore!...” - George W Carroll, The Musicians' Ombudsman.

Bio
Multi-award winning saxophonist/composer/educator Jacam Manricks is fast establishing himself as one of the most qualified musicians in the world today. He has a doctorate in Jazz composition/performance/ pedagogy from the Manhattan School of Music, and tours internationally as a featured soloist, composer/arranger and clinician throughout Europe, North America and Australia.

As a saxophonist/woodwind player, Mr Manricks has performed with some of the most prestigious national and international artists of our time, including Ray Charles, the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, David Liebman, Micheal Abene, Bob Mintzer, Dick Oatts, James Morrison, Mike Nock, Ben Monder, Gary Versace, Joe Martin, Tyshawn Sorey, Barney McAll, Jerry Lewis and the Queensland Symphony to name a few.

Jerry Lewis and the Queensland Symphony to name a few. As a composer, soloist and ensemble leader, Mr Manricks has recorded three albums to date (Skies the Limit, Labyrinth & Mood Swing). Currently Mr Manricks is promoting the release of his second album ‘Labyrinth’, which consists of Mr Manricks’ compositions for jazz quintet and chamber orchestra featuring himself with some of New York’s finest Jazz
soloists (Ben Monder – guitars, Thomas Morgan - bass, Tyshawn Sorey – drums, Jacob Sacks – piano & himself on saxophones/woodwinds).

The album has received outstanding reviews and continues to draw praise from press and audiences around the world. Mr Manricks recently accepted a record contract from LA based record-label Posi-tone and in May 2009 recorded his third album as a leader for the label. The album (entitled Mood Swing) is to be released early 2010 and features Mr Manricks’ most recent compositions for jazz quartet and septet, performed by himself and leading NY jazz soloists (Gary Versace – piano, Joe Martin - bass, Obed Calvaire – drums, Scott Wendholt – trumpet & himself on saxophones).

In October 2007, Mr Manricks premiered a series of compositions for Symphony Orchestra and Big Band in New York. The works featured Mr Manricks as alto saxophone soloist and composer/orchestrator and were presented as part of the Manhattan School of Music’s 90th Anniversary Celebration Concert. Mr Manricks was also the featured guest artist (soloist/composer) for the Queensland Conservatorium of Music’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert in September 2007.

Mr Manricks has written or been commissioned to compose works for the William Patterson University Big Band (New Jersey, USA), the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra (New York, USA), the Helsinki Polytechnics Pop and Jazz Conservatory (Finland), and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Brisbane).

Jacam has received a number of prestigious awards and scholarships for artistic excellence, such as the Contemporary Music Touring Program award in 2007, the Marten Bequest Arts Fellowship in 2005 and The Queensland Lord Mayors Performing Arts Fellowship in 2000.

Awards
Contemporary Music Touring Program 2008
Martin Bequest Arts Fellow 2005
Dean’s List the Manhattan School of Music 2004/2005
Scholarship for a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the Manhattan School of Music 2003
Graduate Fellowship from the William Paterson University 2002
Scholarship for a Masters' Degree at the William Paterson University 2002
Queensland Lord Mayor's Performing Arts Fellow 2000


Chromatic Suite for Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra was composed by saxophonist/composer Jacam Manricks. This premier performance is by Jacam Manricks & The Manhattan School of Music Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra Under the Direction of Justin DiCioccio, October-12-2007 in New York.