Roy Nathanson: The Idiosyncratic Saxophonist Gets 'Complicated'

Few jazz musicians have put together as varied a career as Roy Nathanson. The New York post-bop and avant garde saxophonist co-founded the Jazz Passengers with trombonist Curtis Fowlkes in 1987, and served as its primary composer. But there's much more: He's scored for TV and film and acted in several projects, including a film by Jim Jarmusch; several works were featured in Karole Armitage's adaptation of Sheherazade at the Florence Opera House; and written poetry. He's played and studied with jazz great Jimmy Heath, was a member of the Lounge Lizards and with the Passengers, he's performed or recorded many big name artists -- Blondie's Deborah Harry, Elvis Costello, Jeff Buckley, and Mavis Staples.

Nathanson's most recent project has been Sotto Voce, an idiosyncratic free-jazz based band featuring Fowlkes, Tim Kiah (bass), Jerome Harris (guitar, banjolin), Napoleon Maddox (beatbox), Sam Bardfeld (violin), and everyone contributing vocals. Following 2009's Subway Moon, Nathanson returns to the Soundcheck studio to peform selections of the band's latest, Complicated Day. Showcasing more sonically interesting compositions and spoken word poetry, and even his son, Gabriel Nathanson on vocals and trumpet on the Johnny Nash cover "I Can See Clearly Now," it's yet another genre-defying, all-star record that reflects Nathanson's myriad skills and interests.