- Laura Macdonald
Laura Margaret Macdonald (born
17 July 1974 ) is a Scottish alto and sopranosaxophonist ,composer andteacher , specialising injazz .She attended
Prestwick Academy and theRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama , before moving toBoston to study atBerklee College of Music . She began to play thesaxophone at the relatively late age of 16, after disowning theviolin . She graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1998, and is now based inScotland , specialising inimprovisation .She has worked with many jazz musicians including Tommy Smith (to whom she was once married),
drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts ,bassist James Genus,pianist David Budway,Guy Barker andJason Rebello , and has made many appearances at notable jazz events, including the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and theEdinburgh Fringe . In addition, she is a prominent player within the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. Moreover, she has worked alongside legendary non-jazz specialist John McCrory.Her recordings include the
eponymous "Laura" in 2001 featuringDavid Budway (piano),James Genus (bass) andJeff "Tain" Watts (drums); and "Awakenings" in 2003 with theLaura Macdonald Sextet : Steve Hamilton (piano),Donny Macaslin (tenor saxophone and flute),Gildas Boclé (bass),Claus Stoetter (trumpet and flugelhorn) and Antonio Sanchez (drums). Both CDs are available on [http://www.spartacusrecords.com Spartacus Records] .Laura Macdonald's private students include Ben Bryden, who went on to study at
UCE Birmingham Conservatoire and Leah Gough Cooper, who studies atBerklee College of Music .External links
* [http://www.spartacusrecords.com Spartacus Records]
*myspace|id=126906421|name=Laura Macdonald
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