Dave Anderson: Integrating Music Cultures into a Symphony of Voices

Home for saxophonist-composer-leader Dave Anderson is where he finds opportunities to create and perform music.  Born and raised in Cloquet, Minnesota, Anderson has additionally lived in Toronto, Seattle, New York City, and other locales, each one being a nourishing hub where his music has been fostered and supported. 

Over the course of his travels, he has thrived, performing alongside notable musicians like Matt Wilson, Pat Bianchi, Chico Pinheiro, Nicholas Payton, and Mel Tormé.  Now, he is flourishing as a leader, composer, and educator.  Forging a path to make original music for his conceptually themed recordings: Blue Innuendo (2016), Melting Pot (2018), and his new release In Lieu of Flowers (2025).  Each recording possesses unique qualities and harness unique collaborations, featuring a litany of musicians, who each share Anderson's vision of integrating musical cultures into a symphony of voices.

He describes the impetus for making his recording Blue Innuendo, pledging, "I had always loved the spirit of the great jazz organ groups, and wanted to see how my own tunes and playing could fit in that sub-genre. I’d had opportunities to play with Pat (organ) and Matt (drums) and heard Tom Guarna play guitar in one of Bennett Paster’s groups. I thought these guys would sound great together. Recording with them was rewarding. They’re all well-established musicians, but threw themselves into the music and connected with one another."

"True to the jazz organ genre," he remarks, "most of what we played took on a blues tinge, a 'Blue Innuendo'. This was also my first chance to record at Systems Two Recording Studios in Brooklyn with Mike Marciano."  

His followup album Melting Pot centered around what Anderson calls "immigration-themed music," citing, "The first Trump administration had announced a ban on travel from Muslim majority countries. I was disturbed by the anti-immigration climate and wanted to create some positive music with NYC musicians from different cultures."

He points out, "I was already immersed in the Latin Jazz scene from playing in Memo Acevedo’s Manhattan Bridges Orchestra, including Memo, Roberto Quintero, Dave Restivo, Itai Kriss and Bryan Davis. And I had connections to experimental Indian classical musicians in Brooklyn via Brooklyn Raga Massive, cofounder Neel Murgai, Ehren Hanson, Deep Singh, and thought, what if I pull these folks together into a single concept? I shared some ideas with Memo and Neel, convened a rehearsal joined by Hans Glawischnig, and brought everyone into Systems Two."

The recording studio Systems Two in Brooklyn, New York is a creative hub for Anderson, as he recollects, "I remember Mike Marciano seeing the tabla, sitar and congas coming together in the studio and asking, 'So, what are we doing today, Dave?' I didn’t want to give the music a label; this became Melting Pot. The idea that people from different cultures can come together to make something special is still vital today."

Anderson's latest release In Lieu of Flowers took another turn on his conceptually themed music, harvesting his reflections about honoring people who have passed away.  Accompanying Anderson on the release are Grant Richards on piano, Lorin Cohen on bass, and Jimmy Macbride on drums.

He provides, "I had written a lot of music inspired by people – of whom, Maria Schneider and Sandy Carter, are very much alive and active musicians.  Some of the songs I had written over a period of years.  I became aware that this music could be tied together conceptually, but was also becoming increasingly grateful for these inspirations.  The people who shape our lives don’t always receive the appreciation they deserve."

Some people whom Anderson pays homage to are Wayne Shorter in "One for Wayne" and Maria Schneider in "Arms of Maria."  Then there are people who personally affected Anderson and are reflected in the music like his friend, guitarist and educator Sandy Carter in "Sandy's Ladies," cyclist James Gregg in "Ghost Bikes," educator James Stellmaker in "Stell," and Anderson's mother in the soothing ballad "Sanctuary."

Anderson not only shares his reflections about people who have passed away but he also illustrates reflections about the loss of sentimental places in his track "Lost City."  The composition, according to the album's press release, was inspired by his visit to Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, "finding a once beautiful city in decay from decades of totalitarian rule."  

He explains how the arrangement came together, "I created a sparse arrangement for a tune I had written years earlier, and snuck in Shostakovich’s musical 'initials' in a way I discussed recently on Instagram."

"The quartet," he stipulates, "just brought incredible sensitivity to the song – Grant with his floating piano voicings – he didn’t have a solo on this tune but put his all into accompaniment. Jimmy created flowing drum textures, and Lorin passionately anchored the tune from the bass, pulling out his bow for an extended final note. The combination sounds like there could have been effects processing or even synthesizers on the recording, but it’s just Mike Marciano’s great mix of the acoustic quartet."

He recounts how he met the musicians supporting him on the recording, "I had met Lorin through my wife Ilana as he helped me with aspects of the NYC scene, and then heard Grant play with great rapport in one of Lorin’s groups. I spoke with Lorin about finally doing a project, and he suggested Jimmy play drums, which kicked things up yet another level. As I mentioned, one of the best things about playing in NYC is you may get access to some of the best musicians around, as I gratefully did on this project."

Anderson's pursuit of becoming a leader, composer, and saxophonist can be traced back to his youth, having played the saxophone in his school at age 11.  He wrote his first original songs while still in high school, and honed his craft further while attending the University of Minnesota's Duluth and Minneapolis campuses. 

He recalls, "The energy of jazz attracted me first. There seemed to be so much feeling in the music. My earliest influences were soloists in contemporary big bands like Maynard Ferguson’s, and early smooth jazz musicians like Grover Washington. From then I started to listen heavily to musicians like Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley and Phil Woods –  I started out as an alto sax player."

"I wrote my first tunes," he considers, "while still in high school. I loved – and still love – coming up with musical ideas that were worth saving and sharing with other people.  In jazz, of course, you can make a statement just by improvising, but composing lets one consciously create a melody, and set the context for other musicians to make their own."

He discusses how his work has led him to travel to several locations over the years, remembering, "I first moved to New York because I was working a day job in Toronto, and as an American I didn’t then have the status to leave that job and stay in the country. So it was either go back to Minnesota where I was from – and potentially never leave – or go to the jazz capital of the world that was beckoning me."

"I’ve now moved to NYC three times!  Ha," he chortles.  "The music culture is special. You can hear the majority of the world’s great musicians without leaving town. And when you are putting a band together, you can collaborate with or hire some of the best."

His voyages have enabled him to grow as a creator, musician and leader, as he determines, "I think I’ve grown to trust my creative ideas more. I try not to worry if one idea doesn’t work out, there may be another just around the corner. Musically, I am learning the value of leaving more space for music to breathe. I’ve learned that it can help everyone when a leader takes charge – it’s not about who’s best or has all of the ideas."

He surmises, "The role of leader is needed to get music organized, produced, promoted and at certain moments, instigated. If everyone holds the door for everyone else, no one enters the room."

Having gone through each door that others have opened for Dave Anderson, he continues to find time to engage in activities outside of his music, proclaiming, "Ha, I have too many hobbies and not enough time! The Melting Pot project got me into genealogy  research, when the publicist Terri Hinte suggested I be ready to talk about my own family history. This Fall I’ll travel to Finland and visit discovered relatives and family places. I follow baseball and play too many fantasy baseball leagues, reminding me of the story that Anthony Braxton once made more money playing chess than the saxophone! And I’m enjoying spending time with students who want to learn to play jazz, which I think is the best music in the world."

Home for Anderson is where he plays his music and finds a place to unwind.  Anywhere and everywhere is home for Dave Anderson as long as he is free to create and collaborate with other musicians.  His vision brings together music from a variety of cultures, shaping the ideas into a symphony of voices that illustrate reflections about life, its endearing people and its meaningful places.

https://www.daveandersonjazz.com/