JazzHouston Editor

Background

HORACE ALEXANDER YOUNG is one of a select group of “triple threat” recording and touring artists who is equally gifted as an multi-instrumentalist (woodwinds, keyboards and percussion), vocal musician and composer. His varied experiences in these three disciplines have led to appearances on seventy-one (71) recordings and several international tours and performances with Sam “Lightnin” Hopkins, B.B. King, Bill Withers, The Manhattans, Regina Belle, Johnny Kemp, Abdullah Ibrahim (a.k.a. Dollar Brand), Bubbha Thomas, Gerald Alston, Toots Thielemans, John Blake, Arnett Cobb, Jonathan Butler, Youssou N’ Dour, Onaje Allan Gumbs, McCoy Tyner, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Barron, George Coleman, Dwight Sills, Milt Hinton, Dave Liebman, Norman Brown, Don Menza, Marvin Stamm, Betty Carter, Mark Ledford, Kim Waters and countless others. Having performed in eighteen (18) countries across five (5) continents his saxophone, flute and vocal skills have thrilled audiences at major Jazz Festivals in Montreaux, Hamburg, Leipzig, London, Paris, The Hague, British Columbia, Berlin, New York, New Orleans, Tokyo, Houston, Seattle, Gent, Laverkusen and Glasgow. While operating primarily as a soloist, musical director and studio musician, his most notable achievements occurred in 1993 when he conducted the National Symphony of South Africa (NSO) in a nationally televised concert honoring South African composer-pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and became one of the first people of native African descent to conduct any orchestra in that country and the first Black American to do so.

In addition to maintaining an active performing and recording schedule, Mr. Young is in constant demand as an adjudicator and guest performer for numerous festivals and schools throughout the USA, Canada and abroad. He currently teaches various courses in the area of Jazz Studies at Texas Southern University and conducts the Jazz Expeience Big Band. He also is a faculty member in the same areas at Houston Community College (Central Campus).

Mr. Young performs on Jupiter X/O saxophones, Altus and DiMedici and Jupiter flutes and uses SKB cases, AMT Microphones and Vandoren reeds, mouthpieces and ligatures exclusively.

Location

Houston, TX

Occupation

musician

Music That Inspires Me

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Films I'll Watch More Than Once

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