Bring On the Sax!
"Can't Help Falling In Love" - Valentine's Dinner Event
“Body and Soul” in a hip hop style
Careless Whisper
Sax Solo on "How Will I Know" from Whitney Houston
I Want It That Way
Couple’s First Dance w/ Sax Enhancement
Wedding at Siempre in Draper, UT
Live sax with DJ at Private Event - Grand Hyatt Deer Valley
Corporate Holiday Party!
Studio session adding sax solo
Playing at the Pearl in Murray, UT with Made For Midnight
Summer concert series "Rock The Mountain" in Lehi, Utah
Private posh birthday party! Small space for the band was no problem :)
Wedding gig at the Rooftop in Lehi
Playing with Made For Midnight
Sax solo on the big stage!
Overview
I'll bring the smooth, soulful saxophone vibes to your next party, corporate event, wedding, or any occasion where a sax would be amazing (basically everywhere!). I specialize in solo performances (with backing tracks on high-quality sound gear), perfect for creating an incredibly cool atmosphere for any social gathering or event, large or small. Whether I'm jamming in jazz groups or big bands, or laying down iconic sax solos as a member of Utah’s top Yacht Rock band, Made For Midnight, I'm all about groove, versatility, and creativity. From jazz to pop, rock, R&B or classical—improvisation and professional tone are my specialties. Let’s make your event unforgettable! Bring On the Sax!
Reviews
17 reviews
McKenzie N.
July 21, 2026The highlight of our wedding reception!
Our sax player was hands down one of the best parts of our wedding! He was an absolute hit, and our guests are still talking about him. Everyone kept saying how iconic it was to have live saxophone playing throughout the celebration. He was professional, talented, and knew exactly how to get everyone excited and keep the party going. If you’re thinking about adding a sax player to your event, do it, you won’t regret it! He made our wedding truly unforgettable, and we can’t recommend him enough.
Hired as: Saxophone Player
Bring On the Sax!
Thanks so much, McKenzie! The wedding itself was simply iconic - I was so happy to be a part of it. You guys are a fun couple (I mean, you did hire a sax for your wedding :), and I wish you all the best in your new married life together!
David M.
June 29, 2026Wedding reception dance party
Jeff was great! Easy to work with- took all our requests and delivered big time even under challenging weather conditions. He was prepared for everything and really brought the energy and fun. We scheduled him for the dance party portion of the evening and it was exactly what we hoped for. He can be background music, but I think his strength is being part of the party itself out on the floor. I would highly recommend him!!
Hired as: Saxophone Player
Bring On the Sax!
Thank you for the review and feedback - this was a wedding I won’t forgot! Even with the wet weather, it just was so much fun with the mascot, and one of the coolest bride and groom duos ever. Thank you so much for having me!
McKinley Y.
June 27, 2026Would recommend to everyone!!
we LOVED having Jeff as a live saxophone player during our wedding reception! our guests loved him just as much. we had some problems with our scheduled DJ, and Jeff totally saved the night with his music. would recommend him to everyone who wants live music!
Hired as: Saxophone Player
Bring On the Sax!
I loved playing at your wedding - thanks for having me :) You were all so fun and just knew how to dance and have a party. All the best to you!
Kirsten J.
June 6, 2026The Best part of our wedding
From the start Jeff did everything in his power to make our day special and he completely exceeded our expectations. From our first dance to our grand entrance, it was a 10/10 memorable experience. Since the wedding everyone has told me how impressed they were and how talented he was. It really changed and elevated the vibe of our day. He was very helpful with choosing songs and gave me logistical advice. He seriously went above and beyond and I would recommend every single bride/groom to have Jeff play at their wedding. His pricing is more than reasonable and he was very prepared the day of
Hired as: Saxophone Player
Bring On the Sax!
Thank you so much! Your wedding was amazing and so much fun - loved every second of it! All the best in your new life together as a married couple!
Mindy J.
May 11, 2026Spring Picnic Magic
This is the third time we hired Bring on the Sax for our corporate spring picnic. Sandwiches, blankets, and the sound of a Saxophone made for a perfect spring evening. Great mix of songs that would have anyone ages 3-80 up and dancing.
Hired as: Saxophone Player
Bring On the Sax!
Thanks so much for having me back this year - such a great event and I always have a blast at this one :)
Booking information
Price range: Contact for rates
Languages: English
Gig length: 60 - 360 minutes
What to expect
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!
About
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
Additional booking notes
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.
Services offered
Set list
I'll play whatever you'd like. As a solo saxophonist performer, I typically will play sax over high-quality backing tracks for hundreds of popular tunes from every genre. I carefully select backing tracks so that the quality is the same as listening to the famous songs (often the actual recorded instrumental from hit releases without vocals). My sound gear is very high quality in order to ensure great sound and as much amplification as needed for any given event.
The list of songs is too long to include in this section of Gig Salad. Available upon request for potential clients, I have a list of over a thousand tunes that I've performed and/or prepared with backing tracks.
Influences and inspiration
I consider myself a multi-genre saxophonist—the sax is my voice, and it’s incredibly versatile in any musical context. I have countless influences from across the musical spectrum. As a saxophonist, I've naturally studied heavily from the music of the jazz greats. But, if you were to peek into my Spotify playlists to see what I listen to, you'd find a little of everything from jazz (traditional, smooth, modern), pop, R&B, rock, country, hip-hop, Broadway, classical, and everything else in-between.
My influences range from sax giants such as John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Charlie Parker, to more modern saxophonists like Eric Marienthal, Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Kenny Garrett, and so many others. But, beyond jazz, I also listen to the great R&B and Pop vocalists. You'll find me listening to Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Adele, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, etc. I listen to how they express their music vocally and I try to apply those nuances to my sax-driven interpretations.
I'm a constant student of music, including doing online study courses from Chase Baird, Ben Wendel, and Bob Reynolds. I've had many top private teachers over the years, including David Halliday, John Petrucelli, Andrew Larsen, Gary Edighoffer, Dennis Carey and Dick Hubbard.
Setup requirements
I typically bring my own sound gear. I only need access to a power outlet nearby.