BioGRaphy
Luke Norris
Saxophonist / Composer / Woodwind Doubler
BIOGRAPHY
Luke is a musician born in Long Island, NY. He earned a Masters Degree in Contemporary Performance at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute in Boston, MA. Luke completed a Bachelors Degree in Jazz Saxophone with high distinction at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, studying saxophone with Charles Pillow.
Eastman provided the perfect environment to foster diverse musical skill sets, like studies in flute, clarinet, classical harmony, and composition. He was a member of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble, playing lead alto saxophone for two years under the direction of Bill Dobbins. Outside of school, he was an active member of the vibrant Rochester music scene, playing roots reggae in Thunder Body, modern jazz in the Dave Rivello Ensemble, as well as leading his own bands. As a woodwind doubler, Luke recently appeared in a scene from the upcoming Jeff Goldblum movie “The Mountain” as a piccolo player in a small marching band.
Luke has worked diligently to develop an individual approach to jazz improvisation and saxophone playing. In 2016, Luke won second place in Keilwerth’s Saxophone Idol Competition and third prize in the North American Saxophone Alliance Jazz Saxophone Competition, selected from a nationwide pool of applicants. He was selected for a U.S. State Department-sponsored trip to Japan with the Eastman Jazz Sextet, performing in the 2017 Tokyo Jazz Festival.
During his time at Berklee College of Music's Global Jazz Institute, he performed with Luciana Souza and the BGJI Messengers Live at Cafe 939, as well as with Danilo Perez in New Orleans, Costa Rica, and Panama.
As an educator, Luke has taught at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Workshop at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, RI, and the Birch Creek Music Performance Camp in Egg Harbor, WI. He has led masterclasses at Youngstown State University in Ohio, University of Costa Rica, Kunitachi College and Shobi University in Japan.
As a bandleader, Luke released his debut record "Northernsong" in January 2020 on Ears&Eyes Records, featuring original compositions for jazz quartet.