Ted Nash (saxophonist, born 1960)

Ted Nash
Sherman Irby, Ted Nash, and Victor Goines, Lyon, France, 2016
Background information
Born	(1959-12-28)December 28, 1959 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, arranger, bandleader
Instruments	Saxophone, multireedist
Years active	1970s–present
Labels	Concord Jazz, Mapleshade, Elabeth, Arabesque, Palmetto, Motéma
Associated acts	Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Website	www.tednash.com

Ted Nash (born December 28, 1960) is a jazz saxophonist and composer. Born into a musical family, his uncle was saxophonist Ted Nash and his father is trombonist Dick Nash, both prominent jazz soloists and first call Hollywood studio musicians. Nash is a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis. He is one of the founders of the Jazz Composers Collective.

Nash grew up in Los Angeles. His father is trombonist Dick Nash and his uncle was saxophonist Ted Nash. Both were big band veterans, jazz soloists and session musicians who worked regularly with Henry Mancini and Les Brown. The younger Nash began his career on piano when he was seven, clarinet when he was 12, and alto saxophone at 13. When he was 16, he played for one week with Lionel Hampton and the following year was playing saxophone with Quincy Jones, Louis Bellson, and Don Ellis. When he was 18, he moved to New York City and became a member of the Gerry Mulligan Big Band. During the same year, he released his debut album, Conception (Concord Jazz, 1978).

In the 1980s, he worked with vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake, who had been one of his teachers. He was a member of the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, for whom he played saxophone and wrote arrangements. In 1990s, he performed and recorded as sideman with Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano, and Ben Allison. After Allison's invitation, he joined the Herbie Nichols Project, a band which played the music of pianist Nichols.