Alex Budman - Saxophones

From his birth in Santa Barbara, rearing in Sacramento, schooling in Santa Cruz and current residence in Berkeley, it would appear Alex has been afraid to set foot outside the comfortable confines of Northern California. This is not true. He's been booed on stages the world over...

Alex knew he wanted to play the saxophone when he started band class in 5th grade. His parents, however, did some research and discovered the clarinet was a more versatile instrument. (and more Jewish) He played his first alto sax 3 years later, but continued taking clarinet lessons through his years at UC Santa Cruz. He still plays the clarinet, though rarely in the orchestral style in which he was trained.

Since 1995, Alex has played with lots of Bay Area bands and artists including: Jesus Diaz and QBA, Cannonball, Vinyl, Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums, San Francisco Mime Troupe, Brass Monkey Brass Band, Glide Church, Bud E. Luv, Brenda Boykin, Five Point Plan, Brothers of Other, Supersauce, Wally's Swing World etc... and international acts like Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein, etc...

Alex currently runs the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, a 16-piece big-band that plays weekly at Jazz at Pearl's in North Beach. He recently produced a CD with the CJO-- Monday in the City. Collective Amnesia provides him a unique chance to play original jazz with good friends.

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