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Who Is She?
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Introducing Sonya Jason:
Yamaha Artist, saxophonist Sonya Jason, is an internationally acclaimed recording artist and an award-winning composer. Best known for her all original
Warner Music Discovery release, "Tigress", her accessible, passionate style of contemporary jazz has made a huge splash on radio stations worldwide and
garnered rave reviews from the media. More than two dozen music recordings have featured her saxophone work, including three releases as solo artist.
A summa cum laude graduate of the distinguished Berklee College of Music in Boston, Sonya has led her own bands in thousands of live performances worldwide. She has appeared at more than 50 music festivals including the Golden Jubilee International Jazz Festival in Bangkok where she played for the King of Thailand. In addition, she has been a featured soloist with a variety of other artists, such as the funky Brothers Johnson, big band trumpeter Ray Anthony, The Meters' drummer Joseph "Ziggy" Modeliste, singing actress Debbie Reynolds and many more. Sonya currently resides on the Coastside south of San Francisco where she has developed a thriving music teaching studio, conducts music clinics at local schools and has created a popular series of ongoing Jazz Workshops, all while remaining active as a performer and recording artist. More than two dozen music recordings including three as solo artist:
Tigress (Warner Music Discovery) *
The Supper Club (Sugo Music/Tambourine) *
Secret Lover (Saja Productions)
Recorded with:
Shiela E. * Yellowjackets' Jimmy Haslip * Temptations' Louis Price * Santana's
Jorge Santana, Karl Perazzo, Benny Rietvald , Raul Rekow and Greg Errico *
The Tonight Show's Vicki Randle * Grant Geissman * Pete Escovedo * Irish
Rovers' Will Millar * Eric Rigler * Alphonso Johnson * Luis Conte * Vinnie
Colaiuta * Chester Thompson * Michael O'Neill * John Pena * David Goldblatt * Joe
Heredia * Munyungo Jackson * Tollack Ollestad * Kevin Ricard * Ciro Hurtado *
Bill Cunliffe * David Garfield * John Beasley * John Santos * Linda Tillery * Deuce's
Jean Fineberg and Ellen Seeling * Perla Batalla * Joyce Cooling * Michael
Ruff * Chris Camozzi * Ali Khan Band * Christopher Lukert * Misha Segal *
Marcos Loya * Monalisa Young * Peter Horvath * Stan Keiser * Jorge (George)
Bermudez * and many more...
(check out www.AllMusic.com for more information about these artists)
Over 4000 live performances worldwide.
Performed with:
The Brothers Johnson * The Meters' Joseph "Ziggy" Modeliste * Ray Anthony * Narada Michael Walden *
Tower of Power's Herman Matthews, Mic Gillette, Ron E. Beck, Bill Churchville and Norbert Stachel * Debbie Reynolds * Monica Mancini * Maureen
McGovern * Barry Manilow * Shirley MacClaine * Mary Tyler Moore * Rose Marie *
Carol Channing * Dick Van Dyke * The Rippington's Kim Stone and Steve Bailey *
Rob Mullins * Ray Obiedo * Mindi Abair * Braxton Brothers' Nelson Braxton * Santana's
Jorge Santana, Karl Perazzo and Raul Rekow * Pete Escovedo * The Tonight Show's
Vicki Randle * Expose's Kelly Moneymaker * Stevan Pasero * Linda Tillery * Deuce's
Jean Fineberg and Ellen Seeling * Mimi Fox * Roger Glenn * Francine Reed *
Chris Camozzi * Freddie Ravel * Pamela Rose * Bill Cantos * Rebecca Coupe
Franks * Glenn Walters * Anthony Paule * Michelle Sell * Roger Neumann * and many,
many more...
Opening Act for:
Earth Wind and Fire * Ramsey Lewis * Smokey Robinson * Natalie Cole * Lionel
Hampton * Lou Rawls * Pastor Shirley Caesar * Tom Scott * Stanley Clarke/George Duke Project * Mose
Allison * Grover Washington, Jr. * Sergio Mendez * Diane Schuur * Spyro Gyra * David Sanborn *
Manhattan Transfer's Janis Siegel * Chuck Berry * Tower of Power * K.C. and
the Sunshine Band * Dave Valentin * Jeff Lorber * Bobby Caldwell * Richard Marx
* Bryan White * Rita Rudner * Paula Poundstone
Festival Appearances:
More than 50 festivals including --Golden Jubilee International Jazz Festival, Bangkok THAILAND Cervantino International Festival of Music and Art, Mexico City MEXICO Green Festival, Hiroshima JAPAN SFJAZZ Festival, San Francisco, CA Southern California Jazz Festival, Irvine CA San Jose Jazz Festival, San Jose CA Phoenix Jazz Festival, Phoenix AZ Santa Barbara Jazz Festival, Santa Barbara CA Jazz on the Hill Festival, San Mateo CA Scottsdale Fine Arts Festival, Scottsdale AZ Peacock Jazz Festival, Glendale AZ Old Town Tempe Festival of the Arts, Tempe AZ Best of Phoenix Festival, Phoenix AZ Benefit Concerts:
Over 30 benefits including --The GRAMMY Foundation Concert "Mavericks in Music" -- celebrating the contributions of trailblazing women in music Thalians Ball 1999 and 2000, hosted by Debbie Reynolds -- for Thalians Mental Health Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Women of Taste 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006 -- for Girls Incorporated of Alameda County Sunset Magazine Garden Concert Series -- for the Ronald McDonald House at the Lucille Salter Packard Children's Hospital World Summit for Children Candlelight Vigil -- for children's rights A Window Between Worlds -- for battered women and children of Los Angeles Los Angeles Women's Police Officer Association (LAWPOA) Jazz Benefit -- for Lupus Foundation of America A Night for Sight Benefit -- for the Lion's Club for Arizona's sight impaired Taste '90 and '94 -- for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Phoenix National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) Pierfest -- for youth music programs L.A. Zoo Benefit Concert Series -- for the Los Angeles Zoo Black and White Event -- for the Long Beach Symphony KSBR 88.5 FM Birthday Bash Benefit -- for public radio Thousands of additional live performances at Performing Arts Centers, Jazz
Clubs, Hotels and Wineries since 1985.
Endorsements:
Yamaha Corporation of America for alto saxophones and midi wind controller -- since 1973Unison for curved soprano saxophones -- since 1993 Telex Communications for wireless microphones -- since 1994 Claude Lakey for saxophone mouthpieces -- since 1987 BARI Woodwind Supplies for plastic reeds -- since 1988 Awards and Acknowledgments:
ASCAP Popular Music Award for Original CompositionsYamaha Corporation of America -- selected as Roster Artist Arizona Commission on the Arts -- selected as Roster Artist Downbeat Magazine Spotlights Deserving Young Musicians Phil Woods Scholarship to Berklee College of Music Phoenix Federation of Musicians Young Sounds of Arizona Program 18 Awards for Outstanding Musicianship from such institutions as the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) Professional Societies:
The Recording Academy -- voting member since 1991American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) -- member since 1989 American Federation of Musicians -- member since 1985 Education:
Berklee College of Music, Boston MABachelor's Degree in Performance and Arranging graduated summa cum laude 1985 Mills College, Oakland CA Music Major 1981 - 1983 University of California Berkeley music program participant 1981 - 1983 |
