Gavin Templeton is an American modern jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader, called "a pivotal force in the L.A. progressive jazz scene."Glenn Astarita, “Gavin Templeton: In Series,” All About Jazz, October 1, 2013.
Early life and education Templeton was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Reno, Nevada.“Alto Saxophonist-Bandleader Gavin Templeton Releases 2nd Album, In Series On Nine Winds Records October 8, 2013,” Fully Altered Media, July 25, 2013.“Gavin Templeton Trio,” Blue Whale, June 2, 2011. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, and a master's degree from the California Institute of the Arts.Gavin Templeton Bio , Fully Altered. Accessed February 12, 2016. He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 2006, where he is a part of the city's progressive jazz scene.
Career Solo and with trio Templeton's debut album, Asterperious Special, was released on Nine Winds Records in 2012, with Templeton on alto saxophone, Larry Koonse on guitar, Gary Fukushima on piano, Darek Oles on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums.Paul Fraser, “Jazz Saxophonist Gavin Templeton Releases Debut Album,” calarts.edu, July 23, 2012. The following year, he released In Series, a modern jazz album featuring jazz-rock arrangements, recorded at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles. It features Templeton as composer and on alto saxophone, Perry Smith on guitar, Sam Minaie on bass, Matt Politano on piano and Matt Mayhall on drums. The album is built thematically around the contrast between material excess and poverty on the west side of Los Angeles.S. Victor Aaron, “Gavin Templeton – In Series,” Something Else, October 6, 2013.
The Gavin Templeton Trio's Some Spinning, Some At Rest, was released in 2014 on Orenda Records.Dave Sumner, “New Jazz This Week: Adam Baldych, Yaron Herman, Uri Caine, Ernst Glerum,” Wondering Sound, August 1, 2014. An album of original compositions by Templeton,George W. Harris, “Alto Sax Trios,” Jazz Weekly, June 8, 2015. it combines composition and improvising, with Templeton on alto saxophone, Richard Giddens on double-bass and Gene Coye on drums.Robert Bush, “Gavin Templeton Trio: Some Spinning, Some At Rest,” All About Jazz, December 7, 2014. In received 5 out of 5 stars on All About Jazz, and was on the site's Best of 2014 list.Robert Bush, “Best of 2014,” All About Jazz, January 11, 2015.
Other work Templeton is a member of The Daniel Rosenboom Quintet, playing alto saxophone on the 2014 jazz-metal album Fire Keeper,Chris Barton, “Daniel Rosenboom’s ‘Fire Keeper’ full of imagination,” Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2014. and on Rosenboom's 2015 Astral Transference as part of the octet.S. Victor Aaron, “Daniel Rosenboom – Astral Transference and Seven Dreams,” Something Else, February 1, 2015. He played woodwinds as part of a 22-piece chamber ensemble on the 2015 album Three Kids Music by Gurrisonic Orchestra,George W. Harris, “Jose Gurria’s Gurrisonic Orchestra: Three Kids Music,” Jazz Weekly, October 29, 2015. and has also collaborated with guitarist Nels Cline, woodwind player Vinny Golia, big band leader Alan Ferber, Charlie Haden, Wayne Shorter and Joe LaBarbera.“The Gavin Templeton Trio,” Orenda Records. Accessed February 12, 2016.“Gavin Templeton Trio,” angelcityjazz.com. Accessed February 12, 2016. Templeton performed as a featured artist at the 2014 Angel City Jazz Festival,Chris Barton, “Angel City Jazz Festival lineup looks to past, present and future,” Los Angeles Times, September 16, 2014. and with the Daniel Rosenboom Quintet at the 2014 Monterey Jazz Festival.
Discography Albums YearTitle2012Asterperious Special
2013In Series
2014Some Spinning, Some At Rest
Appears on Year Album Artist Credits2008 Visions and Nightmares Dr. Mint Alto saxophone Live 2008 Plotz! Alto saxophone2009 Vinny Golia’s Friday Nite Band Vinny Golia Alto saxophone A New Symphony Dr. Mint Alto saxophone Book of Riddles Daniel Rosenboom Saxophones How Much Better if Plymouth Rock Had Landed on the Pilgrims David Rosenboom Alto saxophone The Kid Plotz! Saxophones2010 Abstract Realism Peter Epstein & Idée Fixe Saxophones Dirty Baby Nels Cline Alto saxophone2011 Abstractions and Retrocasualties The Vinny Golia Sextet Alto saxophone Low and Inside The Vinny Golia Octet Alto saxophone Fallen Angeles Daniel Rosenboom Alto saxophone2013 Ritual Dr. Mint Woodwinds Shades of Truth Trevor Anderies Alto saxophone Unsayable Absence: Live at the Blue Whale Daniel Rosenboom Woodwinds Ritual David Dominique Alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute2014 Fire Keeper The Daniel Rosenboom Quintet Saxophones, bass clarinet Farewell Jon Armstrong Jazz Orchestra Woodwinds2015 Prisms, Cycles, Leaps Derrick Spiva Jr. & Bridge to Everywhere Woodwinds Kingsize Sessions Dr. Mint Woodwinds Astral Transference Daniel Rosenboom Alto saxophone Three Kids Music Gurrisonic Orchestra Woodwinds Jazziz on Disc, Vol. 5 (Jazziz magazine compilation) Alto saxophone2016LoversNels ClineClarinet, Alto saxophone 2018Thelonious Sphere MonkMast (Tim Conley) Saxophone
References
External links Official website