BISESI

Saxophonist/Composer Nick Bisesi is not your typical musician. In high school, at an age when most aspiring youngsters are just learning the blues scale, Bisesi was opening his ears and sharpening his technique with Joe Daley, a key player in the 60ʼs avant garde movement. He attended De Paul University on scholarship, supplementing his music education in Chicago nightclubs - where he played everything from jazz to pop, R&B, classical, reggae, Latin, and ballroom music.

This experience polished him into an exceptionally flexible musician - Bisesi is as comfortable pumping out a syncopated ska beat as he is whipping through a complex post-bop turnaround. After cutting his teeth in Chicago, Bisesi hit the road, playing with the likes of Ray Charles, The Temptations, Nancy Wilson, Liquid Soul, Lou Rawls and Johnny Mathis.

He then went to New York, where the National Endowment for the Arts awarded him a grant to apprentice with world renowned saxophonist David Liebman. Impressed with his sound, Liebman produced Bisesi’s first CD, Free Time. After 8 years of honing his skills in NYC, and becoming a regular presence at The Knitting Factory, Detour and other Downtown venues, Bisesi returned to Chicago and collaborated with Ramsey Lewis to record the Billboard Top 5 album “Urban Knights VI”. He received a Grammy nomination as featured soloist on Angel Melendez 911 Mambo Orchestra's CD.

Nick then went on to release 3 more CD’s as a leader of his own quartet.  His latest CD Gemini has gathered rave reviews from the press and is currently playing on over 170 radio stations in the US and Canada.