Peter Epstein

Born and raised in Portland, OR, avant-garde saxophonist Peter Epstein took up the clarinet at age ten before shifting focus to alto sax; he later trained under singer Nancy King and bassist Glen Moore. At the California Institute of the Arts he worked on improvisation and composition alongside bassist Charlie Haden, flautist James Newton and clarinetist John Carter while simultaneously immersing himself in West African music and dance, North and South Indian classical traditions, and Balkan folk styles. After completing his studies in 1992 he moved to New York City, where he assembled a quartet featuring accordionist Jamie Saft, bassist Chris Dahlgren and drummer Jim Black. His first recording as a leader, Staring at the Sun, came out on the M.A. label in early 1999, followed later that year by both Solus and The Invisible.