Gary Smulyan is recognized as a major voice on the baritone saxophone. Gradually establishing himself as a young player, Gary was asked to share the stage and the recording studio with an impressive group of jazz luminaries including Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Chick Corea and Tito Puente, as well as R&B/blues and soul icons Ray Charles, B.B. King and Diana Ross.
In addition to performing and recording in support of a myriad of people, Gary has a distinguished discography as a leader, with over ten recordings under his own name. In addition to his work with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Gary remains close with Joe Lovano, working with him in his nine-piece Nonet; then there was the Dave Holland Octet and the seminal bassist’s Big Band. Gary has also enjoyed stints in the cooperative Three Baritone Saxophone Band, as well as working with powerhouse tenor saxophonist George Coleman in his octet and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band that, similar to the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, is comprised of some of the world’s best players.
Gary is a four-time winner of the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls and a multiple winner of numerous other official polls including the Jazz Journalists Award for Baritone Saxophonist of the Year. He is a six-time GRAMMY®-award winner for his work with B.B. King, Lovano, Holland and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Over the years on The Jazz Cruise, Gary has filled the baritone saxophone chair in Anita’s Big Band, as well as hosted jam sessions and performed in All-Star groupings.