THE TIPTONS SAX QUARTET & DRUMS: Covering genres from micro big band, gospel, bluegrass, and Balkan to whimsical jazz and nocturnal funk, don’t miss this driving force of horn splendor!
“A horn band that dances without asking permission.” – DownBeat
“Joyful, fearless, and deeply rooted in groove.” – JazzTimes
“A masterclass in ensemble listening and collective power.” – All About Jazz
NEW RECORDING “Live In Portland” Sowiesound Records (Austria) Feb. 2026
Out now: Live In Portland, a high-voltage concert album from the all-women ensemble Tiptons Sax Quartet and Drums, recorded at Portland’s Jack London Revue during their 2025 US West Coast tour.
Captured live and unfiltered, Live In Portland showcases Tiptons at their most kinetic: horns surging and interlocking, grooves snapping into focus, and improvisation unfolding with joy and precision. The album distills the band’s signature “world soul” sound, a genre-fluid blend of jazz, funk, folk traditions, Balkan and Middle Eastern influences, and rhythm-forward composition.
Tiptons are celebrated for performances that feel equal parts dance party and deep listening session. Humor, grit, lyricism, and collective fire animate every set. This recording preserves that immediacy, spotlighting the band’s long-standing chemistry and the conversational power between saxophones and drums.
THE TIPTONS are a saxophone quartet with drums, based around the USA in New York ,Seattle, WA, Portland, OR and Eau Claire, WI. The group features Jessica Lurie and Amy Denio, original members and lead composers of the internationally renowned Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet (BTMSQ), along with Sue Orfield, Tina Richerson and drummers Robert Kainar (Europe) and Tarik Abouzied (USA). The TIPTONS are an active internationally touring ensemble. BTMSQ was originally founded in 1988, named in honor of big band saxophonist and pianist Billy Tipton, following the post-mortem revelation that Tipton was actually a woman who lived as a man for more than 50 years. Many believe that this allowed Tipton to pursue a career in the male-dominated world of jazz. Not to be bound by convention, the Tiptons similarly do their own thing. With a repertoire that ranges from New Orleans “second – line” to jazz, Afro-Cuban to Balkan, klezmer and beyond, the Tiptons create some of the wildest sounds ever to come out of a sax quartet. Their dynamic, playful concerts feature high-energy interaction between members, and a repertoire that touches on soulful music from around the world.