Alexa Tarantino Quartet

In the words of Wynton Marsalis, Alexa Tarantino is a !one-woman wrecking crew, […] an indomitable force for expression, education, and absolute excellence.”

The vibrant and versatile jazz saxophone & woodwind artist has been triple-nominated as a Rising Star Alto Saxophonist by DownBeat Magazine’s Critics’ Poll from 2020-2022, was named one of the Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019 by the JazzTimes Critics’ Poll, and was one of 100 alumni to receive the Centennial Award from the Eastman School of Music (2022). Alexa “lights up rooms when she [plays]” (JazzTimes). Her radiant spirit and artistry uplift and inspire her audiences one performance at a time.

Alexa tours worldwide with Cécile McLorin Salvant, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Alexa Tarantino Quartet. Her records (Firefly, Clarity, Winds of Change) and compositions have consistently topped jazz radio charts, and her discography includes 25+ released recordings as a leader and sidewoman.

Tarantino is in-demand internationally as an energetic and impactful clinician, mentor, and coach and also represents Jazz at Lincoln Center as a visiting educator for various programs with students of all ages and levels. She holds a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School and bachelor’s degrees in Jazz Saxophone Performance and Music Education with a certificate in Arts Leadership from the Eastman School of Music. Alexa is Founder and Artistic Director of the Cape Ann Jazz Workshop in Rockport, Massachusetts (est. 2014).

Alexa Tarantino’s fifth studio album, The Roar and the Whisper, is a spellbinding new chapter in the jazz musician’s evolution. The saxophonist, flutist, composer, and educator has long been lauded for her poise and precision—“a one-woman wrecking crew,” as Wynton Marsalis calls her. Now, Blue Engine Records captures the full breadth of her artistry: from spirited, up-tempo improvisations to intimate, ethereal ballads.

The Roar and The Whisper features Tarantino’s sophisticated compositions as well as her razor-sharp quartet, with Steven Feifke on piano, Philip Norris on bass, and Mark Whitfield Jr. on drums. Percussionist Keita Ogawa contributes his talents to “Tigress,” and multi-Grammy-Award-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant contributes her stellar vocals to two songs, including her own composition, “Moon Song.” Whether roaring or whispering, Tarantino plays with the exuberance and expressive brilliance that have become her hallmarks, delivering a sound that is fearless, immersive, and unmistakably her own.

Alexa Tarantino is a Vandoren Artist, a Yamaha Performing Artist, and endorses BAM Instrument Cases.