Women’s Jazz Festival: Sitarsys & Joan Hickey Quartet featuring Alexa Tarantino

Alexa Tarantino is an award-winning, vibrant, young jazz saxophonist, woodwind doubler, composer, and educator. Alexa’s “lovely, ardent way of improvising,” and “sharply plotted but gracefully unencumbered straight-ahead jazz [compositions]” (The New York Times) establish her individual voice which shines through as a dynamic performer and educator. Tarantino was recently named one of the “Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019” by the JazzTimes Critics’ Poll and nominated as a “Rising Star – Alto Saxophone” by Downbeat Magazine’s 2021 and 2020 Critics’ Poll.

She has performed regularly as a leader and sidewoman in a wide variety of ensembles and genres including Wynton Marsalis‘s Young Stars of Jazz, Cécile McLorin Salvant Quintet & OGRESSE Ensemble, Ulysses Owens Jr. Generation Y, LSAT (quintet co-led with Lauren Sevian ), Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Sherrie Maricle & The DIVA… and Steven Feifke Big Band.