Nick Brignola

Nick Brignola (July 17, 1936 – February 8, 2002) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.

Biography
He was born on July 17, 1936 in Troy, New York. Nick was born into a musical family in which his father played the tuba and his uncle played the banjo. As a mostly self-taught musician, he developed his facility on all of his instruments using unconventional techniques, which gave his playing an unmatched fluidity. At the age of 11 he began playing the clarinet and in years to come he picked up the alto and tenor saxophones as well as the flute. At the age of 20 he dropped his alto saxophone off to get repaired and the only horn the shop had to loan him was the baritone sax. After that instance, the baritone sax became his main instrument.

While studying education at Ithaca College in New York, Brignola and some of his fellow students made a recording, which won a Down Beat Magazine award for the best college group of the year. The award afforded the group of young musicians many opportunities including the recording of an album as well as performance at various festivals, and a performance at the Café Bohemia in Greenwich Village. In the Down Beat critics poll he was labeled a “new star.” The newfound fame landed Nick Brignola with the Benny Goodman Scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. During his time at Berklee he did a recording with legendary professor and musician Herb Pomeroy and forged relationships with lifelong musical friends including Dick Berk. Nick did not have a long stay at Berklee though. His popularity launched him into the music scene and lead him to gig with many well established musicians.

Nick was a musician that could play any style and was comfortable while doing it. Though the albums he released as a leader were mostly hard bop played by quartets, he played as a sideman in many big bands including Woody Herman and Buddy Rich. During his rise to popularity he connected with Duke Ellington’s bari player Harry Carney who took him under his wing as his protégé and urged Nick to take the baritone sax to the next level.

Though Nick was mostly known as a bandleader he performed and released albums with many of the worlds most famous and well-established musicians. He was able to record the album Baritone Madness with one of his idols, bebop heavyweight Pepper Adams. He released a several tribute albums with an equally stunning cast of musicians paying respect to Gerry Mulligan and Lee Morgan. He also played an integral in the three-baritone sax band, which also played tribute to Gerry Mulligan. He recorded two incredible sets at the Sweet-Basil Lounge in New York city with Randy Brecker and Claudio Roditi and played alongside fellow baritone sax player Ronnie Cuber on the album Baritone Explosion with Rein DeGraff.

Nick Brignola died of cancer on February 8, 2002.

Discography

 * 1967: This is it!
 * 1977: Baritone Madness (Bee Hive Records, with Pepper Adams, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland, Derek Smith, Ted Curson)
 * 1978: New York Bound
 * 1979: L.A. Bound (received a Grammy nomination, with Bill Watrous, Dick Berk)
 * 1979: Burn Brigade (Bee Hive)
 * 1983: Signals… In From Somewhere
 * 1984: Northern Lights
 * 1989: On a Different Level (with Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette)
 * 1989: Raincheck
 * 1990: What it Takes
 * 1991: It’s Time
 * 1992: Live at Sweet Basil, First Set
 * 1993: Tribute to Mulligan
 * 1994: Like Old Times (with Claudio Roditi)
 * 1996: Flight of the Eagle (with Kenny Barron)
 * 1998: Poincina
 * 1998: Spring is Here
 * 1999: All Business
 * 2000: D.E.W Meets Nick Brignola
 * 2002: Tour De Force (with Eddie Gomez)
 * 2003: Things Ain’t What They Used to Be