Teodross Avery

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Teodross Avery, who grew up in Northern California, had classical guitar lessons for a few years before switching to the tenor-sax when he was 13.

He attended the Berklee College of Music and started his career early, being signed to the GRP label at 19 and playing with Betty Carter, Ramsey Lewis, Cyrus Chestnut, Bobby Watson, the Roy Hargrove Big Band, and Dee Dee Bridgewater among others.

Avery next worked with r&b and rock groups, in film and television, was a session musician for years and became an important educator; he has returned to acoustic jazz in recent times.

For this performance from 2019, Avery joins the Cannonball Band (a group sponsored by Cannonball Musical Instruments), an ensemble consisting of altoist Randal Clark, Tevis Laukat on soprano, baritonist Ryan Lillywhite, pianist Melanie Shore, guitarist Kenji Aihara, bassist Matt Larson, drummer Joel Stevenett, and percussionist Ricardo Romero.

The group performs “A Night In Tunisia,” a showcase for Teodross Avery; it features a beautiful blend between the four saxophonists, a high-powered solo by Avery, a spot for congas, and a tradeoff by Avery with the other saxophonists.

-Scott Yanow

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