Nick Bisesi - Saxophone, Flute

Nick Bisesi was born in Park Ridge, Illinois on Father’s day, 1966. Like many kids growing up at that time, Nick first heard live music in grammar school when the band teacher from the local junior gave a demonstration of the various band instruments. Nick chose the saxophone and quickly began to excel at music. By the eighth grade, Nick started to take an interest in jazz. He was impressed when the local high school jazz band played a concert at his school. “They were all obviously having so much fun. They were smiling and laughing and encouraging each other during solos. I liked the informality of it.” Later that year Nick got his first jazz solo during a band concert. He’s been hooked ever since.
In high school, Nick added the flute and clarinet to his arsenal and continued to practice diligently on the saxophone. He began to study privately with Joe Daley, an important figure in the avant garde movement of the ‘60’s. “Joe was so inspiring to be around. He had this great sound and was a true master of the saxophone. And he made you take your studies seriously. If you didn't practice hard, he wouldn't teach you.”

During high school Nick received numerous awards for his soloing including the Sempre Fidelis award from the U.S. Marines. This led to a scholarship to attend DePaul University in Chicago.
While at DePaul, Nick studied the classical saxophone repertoire with Robert Black, principal saxophone with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 1988 Nick received national recognition for his outstanding solo work at the All-American College Jazz Festival in Orlando Florida. While earning his degree in Jazz Studies, Nick played in local clubs and soon became a fixture in the Chicago music scene.“I was immersed in music 24/7. I was playing in local clubs several nights a week and got the opportunity to work in many different idioms ranging from Latin music to R&B, rock, pop, jazz, ballroom dance music, reggae, fusion, and classical. It was a great experience learning all those styles. It really helped me become a flexible musician.”

In addition to live performance he was active in the commercial recording scene, playing on spots for national and local TV and radio.
After graduating, Nick continued to lead his own group and toured the country with a variety of musical groups. His performance credits include gigs with such notables as Ray Charles, Louis Bellson, The Temptations, Ramsey Lewis, Dave Liebman, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Dave Mason, Johnny Mathis, Bob Hope, The Benny Goodman Orchestra, Lou Rawls, Liquid Soul, Debbie Reynolds, The Spinners, and Nancy Wilson. “I learned so much from working with all these different people. They all had very distinct musical identities and I realized that is what made them so interesting.”

Nick was doing well in Chicago, but felt the need to broaden his awareness of what was out there in music and more importantly, in life. In 1993 Nick moved to New York City. “NYC was a tremendous challenge for me. It can be quite difficult just to pay the rent. The constant struggle forces you to focus on what’s really important, and my music began to take on a much deeper character as a result.”

A year later, Nick was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study with world renowned jazz saxophonist David Liebman. “Dave is an incredible musician and a true artist as well as an extremely articulate teacher. He teaches conceptually and really opened up my awareness of art and life. I began to focus on what I had to say musically, what is relevant to this time period. I believe jazz should to reflect the energy of the present, not just try to capture the nostalgia of some bygone era.”
Leading his own group, Nick developed the music and concept for his first CD project,
Free Time. “The music is a reflection of my life. Sometime over the past few years I realized I had something to say musically, my life experiences have provided me with content for my music.” Nick’s music is honest and not pretentious. To quote David Liebman “The maturity of his playing and writing is remarkable.” The CD features original compositions by Nick that range from gritty/downtown sounds to atmospheric ballads to folkish grooves. It is produced by David Liebman and includes Dave on a few tunes as well as Pete McCann on guitar, Sean Conly on bass and Owen Howard on drums, with Nick on alto sax and flute. The group has a wonderful looseness about it. The music flows freely as a result of the deft communication between the musicians.

Nick’s latest project Gemini shows a continuing evolution in Nick’s playing and writing. Nick plays the tenor on this one, with Neal Alger on guitar, Patrick Williams on bass, and Eric Montzka on drums. The group is tight and freely interacts creating a very organic sound. “I’m very proud of this record. This group really sings!” says Nick.
Currently, Gemini is receiving airplay on over 170 stations throughout the U.S. and Canada.