Paul Hanson is an American bassoonist, saxophonist, duduk player, and composer with roots in jazz and classical music.
Music career Paul Hanson was born in San Francisco, CA, on October 28, 1961. His parents were both musicians: his mother a classical pianist and his father a music teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District. In high school, Hanson performed in the Young People's Symphony Orchestra (YPSO) and participated in a concerto competition curated by the San Francisco Symphony. He won the competition in the woodwinds division, receiving the Pepsi Young Musician Award. At the young age of seventeen, Hanson recorded alto saxophone on the album Pillars by Peter Apfelbaum & the Hieroglyphics Ensemble. Since then, his career has expanded vastly into multiple genres. He has performed with Cirque du Soleil, who had created a role specifically for him in the show ZED.
Hanson has received various awards. The National Endowment of the Arts awarded Hanson with a jazz performance grant in 1995. He was the Robert Mondavi Concerto Competition winner as a student in 1984. With Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, he recorded Outbound, which won a Grammy in 2000. Hanson was the Grand Prize winner of JAZZIZ Magazine's Woodwinds on Fire award in 1995. Hanson has taught numerous master classes worldwide, including Ithaca College, Penn State University, Arizona State University, Oklahoma University, University of Wisconsin, Memphis State University, University of Northeastern Oklahoma, University of Arkansas, and Portland State University-all, specializing in modern performance techniques and improvisation for double reed instruments. Hanson has also taught privately in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Hanson has performed and recorded with the likes of:
Abraham Laboriel Béla Fleck and the Flecktones Billy Childs Billy Cobham Billy Higgins Brian Blade Charlie Hunter Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra Craig Erikson David Binney DAVKA Dennis Chambers Eddie Money Jeff Denson Jeff Sipe Joel Harrison Jonas Hellborg Kai Eckhardt Karen Blixt King Baldwin Medeski Martin & Wood Miguel Zenón Napa Symphony Orchestra Oakland Eastbay Symphony Orchestra Oaktown Irawo Omar Sosa Patrice Rushen Pat Senatore Peter Apfelbaum Peter Erskine Randy Brecker Ray Charles Raze the Maze Rob Wasserman SF Jazz St. Joseph Ballet Company The Klezmorim The Paul Dresher Ensemble Sawalé T Lavitz Victor Wooten Wayne Shorter
Hanson has performed alongside great musicians and led his solo bassoon show and the Paul Hanson Quintet ‒ both internationally performing ensembles.
Discography AlbumRecord labelYear releasedThe Last Romantics1994Astro Boy BluesMoo1997Voodoo SuiteManzanita Ranch Music2000Frolic in the Land of PlentyAbstract Logix2008New DaysBlue Coast Records2019CalliopeManzanita Ranch Music2024The Outer BanksAbstract Logix2026
Appears On AlbumArtistYear releasedPillarsPeter Apfelbaum1979Can't Hold BackEddie Money1986Toni ChildsUnion1988KotojaSawalé1994PasqualeBilly Childs and Pat Senatore1995When Groove Was KingWhat It is1996Funky CubonicsOmar Sosa and Oaktown Irawo1998Range of MotionJoel Harrison1999OutboundBéla Fleck and the Flecktones2000Live at the QuickBéla Fleck and the Flecktones2002The GolemDAVKA2004TimelessJeff Sipe2004Cosmic FarmCraig Erikson, T Lavitz, Jeff Sipe, and Rob Wasserman2005DAVKA LiveDAVKA2005Sipe, Hanson, and HellborgJeff Sipe, Jonas Hellborg, Paul Hanson2005Temple of the InvisibleRobert Rich2005VUZenith Patrol2005Mad HopeKaren Blixt feat. Randy Brecker and Patrice Rushen2008PolarisOoN2014Concentric CirclesJeff Denson Quartet2015Spirit HouseJoel Harrison2015Pictures at an ExhibitionKing Baldwin2018Producer's ChoiceCompilation Album2018Kidz These DazeCasey & The Comrades2020
References
External links Official site
See also