Tenor Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
For more than 35 years, Jonathan Ball has pursued musical excellence as a multi-reedman, composer, and educator. After a 20-year hiatus following his original departure from the Hartford Jazz Orchestra in 2005, Jonathan has rejoined the ensemble, bringing with him decades of expanded experience as a performer, composer, and teacher.
Jonathan’s artistic vision is deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, drawing inspiration from Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Joe Henderson, Jerry Bergonzi, and Dave Liebman, while his compositional outlook has been shaped by Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, and Arnold Schoenberg. “I view Chick Corea as a complete role model — as a composer, improviser, and performer in any setting,” Jonathan notes.
A Hartford native, Jonathan began his musical studies on clarinet at age eight, studying privately first with Don McKeever, followed by advanced classical clarinet studies with Patti Lignelli, and later jazz saxophone studies with Larry Dvorin. He ultimately focused on tenor saxophone during his studies at Western Michigan University, where he studied with Trent Kynaston. While there, he performed with visiting artists including Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach, and gained professional experience performing with orchestras accompanying major touring acts. During this period, he also co-authored Masters of the Alto Saxophone Play the Blues (Corybant Productions, 1990), a transcription book featuring solos by Cannonball Adderley, Jackie McLean, Sonny Stitt, and Art Pepper.
In 2013, Jonathan co-led the Matthew Finck / Jonathan Ball Project, releasing It’s Not That Far with an all-star ensemble including Randy Brecker, Jay Anderson, and Adam Nussbaum. The album was named one of JazzTimes’ Top 50 Jazz Releases of 2013, marking an important artistic milestone. Critics praised Jonathan’s playing as “commanding and lyrical,” highlighting the “rare depth of interaction between tenor saxophone and guitar,” and describing the recording as “a true collaboration — greater than the sum of its parts.” Reviews also noted his compositional voice and tenor sound as “focused, expressive, and firmly grounded in the jazz tradition.”
Jonathan has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and Latin America, including a decade working with ensembles led by Tony Perez, Charles Flores, and Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, sharing the stage with artists such as Claudio Roditi, Daphnis Prieto, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Francisco Mela. He has also worked in orchestral and commercial settings, backing artists including Paul Anka, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, and Johnny Mathis, and recording for major commercial clients.
An educator by vocation and philosophy, Jonathan has taught more than 500 private students in classical and jazz settings and continues to balance performance, teaching, composition, and professional instrument repair as part of his broader musical life.
