Eric Wyatt
Jazz saxophonist Eric Wyatt's new record, Borough of Kings (Posi-Tone 2104), features pianist Benito Gonzalez (Kenny Garrett), bassist Ameen Saleem (Roy Hargrove), and drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi (Makoto Ozone). The album includes special guests Clifton Anderson, Dwayne Eubanks, and rising star drummer Kyle Poole. This exciting project features six of Wyatt's original compositions, Countdown by John Coltrane, and Quest by Benito Gonzalez.
Wyatt was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Charles Wyatt, who played tenor, introduced Wyatt to the sax and some of his friends, who happened to be some of the great jazz icons: Charlie Parker, Gary Bartz, George Braith, Wilber Ware, Thelonious Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie to name a few.
Wyatt also had the privilege at an early age of meeting two great jazz masters, both of whom changed his life: Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, who is also his godfather. Wyatt recalls, "When I met Miles, I was 10 years old and was playing trumpet at the time. He was playing at the Bottom Line, a club in New York, and I never forgot all the energy and joy that this man brought to the audience. Sonny was a friend to the family and stayed connected to us even after my father passed.” Soon after this loss, Wyatt switched from playing the alto sax to a rare gold plated tenor sax that Rollins had given his father, and fell in love with the sound of the tenor. He can be seen playing this horn on the cover of Borough Of Kings.
Rollins also helped Wyatt record his first record, titled God Son (King 1997). This record featured the great Al Foster on drums, Rufus Reid on bass and pianist Mark Soskin from Rollins' band. Wyatt's next three records are Live at the Half Note (EWA 2001), The Blue Print (2004), and Live at the Brooklyn Paramount (2006).
Wyatt has been consistently recording and traveling the world as both leader and sideman, and continues to build an impressive resume. He has played with and recorded on records with Jeff "Tain" Watts, Robert Glasper, Kenny Garrett, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Donald Vega, Branford Marsalis, Bob Cranshaw, Rodney Kendrick, James Spaulding, Keyon Harrold, E.J. Strickland, Jeremy Pelt, Willie Jones III, Clifton Anderson, Warren Wolf, Monty Alexander, Benito Gonzalez, Larry Willis, Stephen Scott, Justin Robinson and many other influential jazz musicians.
Wyatt has performed internationally in Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Athens, Thessolnikki Greece, Nice, and Paris, France.
Jazz saxophonist Eric Wyatt's new record, Borough of Kings (Posi-Tone 2104), features pianist Benito Gonzalez (Kenny Garrett), bassist Ameen Saleem (Roy Hargrove), and drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi (Makoto Ozone). The album includes special guests Clifton Anderson, Dwayne Eubanks, and rising star drummer Kyle Poole. This exciting project features six of Wyatt's original compositions, Countdown by John Coltrane, and Quest by Benito Gonzalez.
Wyatt was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Charles Wyatt, who played tenor, introduced Wyatt to the sax and some of his friends, who happened to be some of the great jazz icons: Charlie Parker, Gary Bartz, George Braith, Wilber Ware, Thelonious Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie to name a few.
Wyatt also had the privilege at an early age of meeting two great jazz masters, both of whom changed his life: Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, who is also his godfather. Wyatt recalls, "When I met Miles, I was 10 years old and was playing trumpet at the time. He was playing at the Bottom Line, a club in New York, and I never forgot all the energy and joy that this man brought to the audience. Sonny was a friend to the family and stayed connected to us even after my father passed.” Soon after this loss, Wyatt switched from playing the alto sax to a rare gold plated tenor sax that Rollins had given his father, and fell in love with the sound of the tenor. He can be seen playing this horn on the cover of Borough Of Kings.
Rollins also helped Wyatt record his first record, titled God Son (King 1997). This record featured the great Al Foster on drums, Rufus Reid on bass and pianist Mark Soskin from Rollins' band. Wyatt's next three records are Live at the Half Note (EWA 2001), The Blue Print (2004), and Live at the Brooklyn Paramount (2006).
Wyatt has been consistently recording and traveling the world as both leader and sideman, and continues to build an impressive resume. He has played with and recorded on records with Jeff "Tain" Watts, Robert Glasper, Kenny Garrett, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Donald Vega, Branford Marsalis, Bob Cranshaw, Rodney Kendrick, James Spaulding, Keyon Harrold, E.J. Strickland, Jeremy Pelt, Willie Jones III, Clifton Anderson, Warren Wolf, Monty Alexander, Benito Gonzalez, Larry Willis, Stephen Scott, Justin Robinson and many other influential jazz musicians.
Wyatt has performed internationally in Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Athens, Thessolnikki Greece, Nice, and Paris, France.