Peter Sommer

Since establishing himself among the Denver area's elite jazz musicians, Peter Sommer has contributed his energetic saxophone playing and creative spirit to a wide variety of musical projects ranging from mainstream Bebop to Avant-garde and beyond at venues across the nation and around the world. Although rooted in the great jazz tradition of his heroes Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, he continues to search for the mystery in music making and takes great joy in sharing the present moment with the listener.

Peter has released four albums as a leader - Sioux County (2006) on Tapestry Records, featuring his original compositions in duo with jazz piano legend Art Lande, Crossroads (2008) on Capri Records, featuring a two-tenor frontline with the great NYC saxophonist Rich Perry, and Tremolo Canteen (2010) and Narrando Historias (2015) on Dazzle Recordings.

Peter has performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, and has been a featured jazz soloist at North American Saxophone Alliance Regional and Biennial Conferences. He has also performed at IAJE International Conferences in Anaheim and Toronto, Canada, and has performed at World Saxophone Congresses in Valencia, Spain, Bangkok, Thailand and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Peter Sommer is Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Saxophone at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. At CSU, Mr. Sommer directs Jazz Ensemble I and coordinates the Jazz Studies area.

Pathways To Jazz supported album: Happy-Go-Lucky Locals

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