Bring On the Sax!

Expect a pro-quality saxophone performance. If you know your saxophones, you'll appreciate the decades I've spent developing excellent tone, technique, and improvisational ability across any genre. I can do jazz (of course), but I also regularly play and perform hits across pop, R&B, funk, motown, blues, motown, oldies, or anything in between. I also perform in a classical saxophone quartet.

Basically, you should expect whatever you ask me to provide, and that I'll do it with a high degree of professionalism, polish and pure talent. All you need to do is Bring On the Sax!

Hi! My name is Jeff Carlsen, and I've been playing the sax since childhood. I now have three children of my own, and I'm helping them acquire the love of creating music. My career is in finance and accounting, but I'm a saxophonist at my core.

As a solo saxophonist, I've entertained crowds for weddings, corporate events (for example, LiveView Technologies, Wavetronix, Quotient Technologies), private parties and block parties. I've also performed on stages for summer concerts across Utah and Salt Lake Valleys (examples: Rock the Mountain in Lehi, Springville Art Festival, and Taylorsville Starry Nights). As a soloist, I play every genre from pop, rock, motown, R&B, jazz, broadway and more. I also do sax studio recording work for hire.

Aside from my solo work, I can be found across Utah performing in the following groups:
- Made For Midnight - Utah's Hottest Yacht Rock band (@madeformidnightutah on Instagram), performing sax (and auxiliary percussion) on stages for thousands each year.
- Wasatch Show Band - lead tenor sax and manager
- CB Jazz - lead alto sax
- Young Saxophone Quartet
- Jazz quartets (sax with piano/bass/drums) for private events

Throughout high school and part of college (until getting deeply into my Accounting major) I performed in award-winning ensembles, with frequent individual recognition as an Outstanding Soloist at some of the biggest high school and college jazz festivals on the west coast. Other accolades (this is going back a ways - lol) include being selected as the top Baritone Saxophonist in Washington State for the All-State Jazz Band; First Place award in the tenor/bari sax division in Eastern Washington Classical Solo Competition; Third Place in the tenor/baritone sax division of All Washington State Classical Solo Competition; and selection as my high school's Louis Armstrong Jazz Award recipient - given to a single outstanding student jazz musician each year.

I've studied privately with some of the best saxophonists in Washington and Utah, and I'm on a continual journey to increase my expressive capability as a musician.

So, Bring On the Sax! You'll find a complete professional ready to bring an incredibly cool vibe to your next event.

Thanks,

Jeff

If I'm doing a solo gig, I'll bring my own high-quality PA, mic and gear. I just need electrical outlet. If no power is available, that's ok, I have some battery-powered gear as well. For larger stages and band performances, I can arrange sound if not provided by the venue.