Ernie Krivda

An engaging tenor saxophonist whose commanding tone has kept him in steady demand, Ernie Krivda favors acoustic post-bop settings. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1945, he first encountered jazz through his father, a saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist. Krivda began on clarinet at age six before switching to tenor saxophone, and by his teens he was working polka bands. His initial major opportunity arrived when he joined the Jimmy Dorsey ghost band led by Lee Castle. Throughout the 1960s he appeared frequently in Cleveland venues and served in the house band at Leo’s Casino, supporting Smokey Robinson, the Supremes, the Temptations and other visiting acts. In the early 1970s he became a member of Quincy Jones’ ensemble, touring and recording with the group for several years, then relocated to New York City in 1976.

After the move he signed with Inner City Records and issued his debut, the 1977 album Satanic, a propulsive blend of Latin rhythms, funk and fiery post-bop. Additional well-regarded Inner City releases followed with 1978’s The Alchemist and 1979’s Glory Strut. Returning to Cleveland in the early 1980s, Krivda stayed active as a touring and recording artist, issuing a pair of Cadence albums, 1985’s Tough Tenor, Red Hot and 1986’s Fireside Sessions. Further recordings appeared on smaller labels, among them 1991’s Ernie Krivda Jazz, 1994’s So Nice To Meet You and 1998’s Perdido. During the 1990s he also formed the dynamic Fat Tuesday Big Band, which continues to perform regularly in the Cleveland area.

Although based in the Midwest, Krivda has sustained an international profile through appearances at the Kool Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival as well as tours across the United States. Since the 2000s he has maintained his association with Cadence Records, releasing 2004’s Focus on Stan Getz and 2006’s Live in New York City. An active educator, he has taught in the jazz studies program at Cuyahoga Community College and served as a Yamaha clinician. In 2009 he received the Cleveland Arts Prize for lifetime achievement in music. He paid tribute to the late author and underground comic-book writer Harvey Pekar on 2011’s Blues for Pekar, then delivered 2015’s Requiem for a Jazz Lady with pianist Lafayette Carthon, bassist Marion Hayden and drummer Renell Gonsalves.