Tiptons Saxophone Quartet & Drums

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!

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.