Joe Lovano in San Francisco

Joe Lovano is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader, born in Cleveland in 1952. Best known for his tenor saxophone playing, he has worked across hard bop, post-bop and contemporary jazz. His extensive Blue Note catalogue includes From the Soul, Rush Hour and 52nd Street Themes, while later projects include the quintet Us Five and Trio Tapestry. In the 1970s, Joe Lovano toured with Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd before moving to New York and joining the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, whose Monday-night residency at the Village Vanguard placed him in one of the city’s central jazz rooms. He also built a decades-long performing partnership with drummer Paul Motian and guitarist Bill Frisell, then led his own quartets, nonet and Us Five. His later concert work has included Sound Prints, the quintet he co-leads with trumpeter Dave Douglas.