Roy Nathanson

Roy Nathanson
Background information
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, Composer, Bandleader, Actor, Teacher
Instruments	Saxophone, Vocals
Labels	Tzadik Records, Six Degrees Records, Aum Fidelity, Les Disques Du Crepuscule, Windham Hill Records, Tablehead, Knitting Factory Works, 32 Jazz
Associated acts	Elvis Costello, Deborah Harry, The Jammers, Bernard Fowler, Jazz Passengers

Roy Jay Nathanson (born May 17, 1951) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader, actor and teacher. He became the leader and principal composer of the Jazz Passengers, a six piece group that he founded with Curtis Fowlkes in 1987. They have toured Europe many times and played at major festivals in Finland, Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland, as well as the J.V.C. Festival in New York, the Du Maurier Festival in Canada and toured throughout the United States and Canada. The band has recorded eight albums since their debut release.

In 1994, Nathanson composed a variety of songs for an original vocal album, Jazz Passengers in Love, produced by Hal Willner and Huge Dwyer. A number of guest vocalists were featured, including Jimmy Scoff, John Kelly, Freedy Johnston, Bernard Fowler, Jeff Buckley and Deborah Harry, who is now functioning as a full-time member of the band. Since the summer of 1995 The Jazz Passengers, have toured Europe and America with Harry, and an occasional guest appearance by Elvis Costello. With this configuration, the Passengers have released two albums. Individually Twisted (with Harry and Costello), and Live In Spain featuring Deborah Harry. The band performed orchestral arrangements of their repertoire with Harry and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2001.

Nathanson also co-leads a duo with keyboardist, composer Anthony Coleman, with whom he has also toured the U.S. and Europe. Their third album, I Could've Been a Drum was released on John Zorn's Tzadik Records label.

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