John Ellis is one of the most in demand saxophone and woodwind players in the world today. In 1992, John Ellis moved to New Orleans to study with the legendary Marsalis family, thus beginning his New Orleans connection. Around 1996 Ellis moved to New York and has been there ever since while keeping his NOLA connections and inspirations intact. Ellis keeps an impossibly busy schedule putting out a prolific catalogue of his own music while keeping extremely busy recording and playing with countless other bands and projects.
John was nice enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to speak with us and we think this conversation is both enlightening and engaging. John is a seriously thoughtful guy that will make you think about everything from playing the instrument to creating and maintaining a life as a musician. Some of the things you will hear in today’s episode:
- John’s new record and what went into making it.
- How New Orleans affected John.
- Why he ultimately decided to make his home in New York.
- What does John think about gear and how important is it to him.
- Making a life in music and the financial realities.
- Why he is still excited about bringing brand new music to the world.
Check out John’s website to see everything that is going on in his world and all of his projects!
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I enjoy listening to your weekly podcasts however they seem very “jazz” orientated which is a little contradictory to the name othe podcast – “Everything Saxophone” . Having said that – listening to the likes of Greg Fishman, Nigel McGill and one or two others have changed the way I play and practise etc. Look forward to future shows with perhaps a little more variety from other saxophone genres??