Attendees can come for all or any part of the day to hear jazz and classical workshops and performances. There will be exhibits by many local instrument, accessory and print music dealers, with the latest offerings from Selmer, Yamaha, Yanagisawa and Cannonball on display. Dealers will have their products and accessories available for sale during the event. Tenor Madness Vintage Instruments will also have classic Selmer and Conn saxophones for sale. Several manufacturers are providing door prizes, with winners to be drawn following the final concert at 4:30.

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The featured jazz artist this year is New York-based Steve Slagle, a faculty member at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. Slagle joined Stevie Wonder's band at age 18, but his first recordings were with the Steve Kuhn Quartet, and following with a stint in organist Jack McDuff's band. Slagle joined the Carla Bley Band in 1981, and later toured with Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra. Steve became Ray Barretto’s musical director in 1988, and then lead alto/arranger with the Mingus Big Band, earning two Grammy nominations. He works regularly with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, and is featured on Lovano's Grammy-winning “52nd Street Themes” for Blue Note. As a leader, Steve has five recordings on the SteepleChase label and most recently, “New New York” for Omnitone. He will present a jazz saxophone clinic at 1:30, and perform with the Stryker/Slagle Band in the McNally Smith auditorium at 3:30.

The Twin Cities own JAZZAX Saxophone Quartet returns this year for a clinic and performance at 12noon that focuses on balance, tuning and blending the saxophone section in all ensemble situations. Members of the group are David Milne, Michael Walk, Pete Whitman and Greg Keel. The group, now in it's sixth year together, performs original jazz compositions and arrangements. JAZZAX recently recorded Doug Little's "Cuban Suite" and Laura Caviani's "Suite Basie" for saxophone quartet and rhythm section, and was featured in a standing room-only performance at the most recent World Saxophone Congress.

Two outstanding clinics focus on the technical side of the instrument: Stan Garber from Conn-Selmer presents a clinic at 10am on saxophone acoustics and design. For those who missed Stan's appearance in the Minneapolis a few years ago, this is an outstanding presentation not to be missed! Randy Jones (Tenor Madness) and Jeff Reitz (Schmitt Music Centers) are two of the most respected saxophone technicians in the country. Their clinic on repair, setup and instrument selection at the last Saxophone Day was a huge hit, and they're back at this year's event by popular request. On the classical performance side, Russian-born saxophonist Vasili Kasatkin will present a clinic at 11:00am.

Photo by Don Berryman