Steve Lehman Octet

Saxophonist Steve Lehman is a forward-thinking musician with broad musical knowledge he most often applies to his avant-garde and modern creative jazz. Following his early study with Anthony Braxton in the late '90s, he gained attention issuing albums like 2001's free-influenced Structural Fire with trumpeter Roy Campbell, Jr., 2008's trio date Interface, and 2017's hip-hop-informed Selebeyone. He has also collaborated on adventurous projects with Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bennie Maupin, and others. Born in New York City, Lehman studied saxophone in high school and eventually earned his B.A. in composition in 2000 and his M.A. in composition from Wesleyan University in 2002. From 2002-2003, Lehman studied in France as a Fulbright Scholar, researching how African-American experimental composers were received in France in the '70s. While in college, Lehman studied with multi-reed player Anthony Braxton and saxophonist Jackie McLean at the Hartt School of Music. As a performing artist, he has worked with a bevy of similarly inclined musicians, including pianist Dave Burrell, bassist Mark Dresser, pianist Vijay Iyer, saxophonist Oliver Lake, and others. In 2001, Lehman released his debut album as a leader, Structural Fire. He then followed up with several experimental and avant-garde-inclined albums, including 2005's Demian as Posthuman, 2007's Manifold, 2008's Interface, and 2009's Travail, Transformation and Flow. In 2010, Lehman collaborated with saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa on Dual Identity and returned the following year with Kaleidoscope & Collage, featuring two extended pieces performed with bassist/composer Stephen Crump. He released the trio album Dialect Fluorescent in 2012, followed two years later by the octet date Mise en Abîme. In 2017, he delivered the expansive, hip-hop-influenced Selebeyone, featuring contributions from Antipop Consortium's HPrizm. Two years later, he expanded his trio with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Damion Reid for the album The People I Love, with pianist Craig Taborn as a co-billed guest.
© Matt Collar /TiVo