Over the past several years, alto saxophonist Patrick Cornelius has emerged as an exciting and dynamic new voice in the New York jazz scene. An instrumental virtuoso who counts Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Joe Henderson, Claude Debussy, and Peter Gabriel among his greatest influences, Patrick has made a name for himself as an emerging artist with seemingly limitless potential.
The son of a highly decorated US Air Force officer, Patrick was raised in such diverse locales as Germany, Georgia, Texas, and Great Britain. His parents took great pains to nurture his deep love and appreciation for the fine arts from an early age, exposing him and his brothers to the theater, concerts, museums, poetry readings, and classic literature. Patrick began studying the piano at the age of 5, and gravitated towards the alto saxophone as a teenager, shifting his musical focus from the works of Debussy, Grieg, and Bartok, to the sounds of Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane.
Patrick’s performing experience includes established venues such as The Blue Note, The Monterey Jazz Festival, Jazz at the Lincoln Center, and The Kennedy Center, as well as some of the most popular New York jazz clubs, including The Jazz Gallery, Fat Cat, The 55 Bar, and Smalls. He cut his teeth playing local gigs around his native San Antonio while still in high school, before attending both Berklee College of Music and The Manhattan School of Music on full scholarships for undergraduate and graduate studies respectively. In 1999, Patrick was recognized by The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, and spent 4 months attending workshops and seminars in their facility on the campus of USC in Los Angeles. Upon returning to Berklee, he was chosen to receive the 2000 Billboard Endowed Award, presented by the publication to one aspiring musician each year. More recently, Cornelius garnered back-to-back Young Jazz Composer awards from ASCAP in 2005, 2006, and 2007 for his compositions Unfinished Business, Winds of Change (from Lucid Dream), and Brother Gabriel.
Patrick‘s solo recording debut, Lucid Dream, features the collaborative efforts of some of the most exciting talents on the New York jazz scene today: rising stars Aaron Parks (piano), Kendrick Scott (drums), Nick Vagenas (trombone), Gretchen Parlato (voice), and local veteran Sean Conly (bass.) Lucid Dream features 7 strikingly memorable original compositions from Cornelius’ current songbook, as well as spirited, unique arrangements of Charlie Parker’s Billie’s Bounce and Peter Gabriel’s classic pop anthem, Don’t Give Up.
Patrick’s 2006 performance schedule included a very successful UK tour to promote Lucid Dream. His residency included some of England’s most established venues, such as Pizza on the Park, The Vortex, Club 606, and Queen Elizabeth Hall. His 2007 European tour featured a headline berth at The London Jazz Festival, as well as dates in Scotland, France, and Luxembourg. This year, his touring schedule includes London's famed Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, as well as performing arts venues across Europe and the UK.
“[his] original works show a dusky elegance that owes much to Wayne Shorter while retaining a unique identity.”
-- JazzTimes
“a bold and gifted sax player”
--All About Jazz
“a dynamic New York altoist”
--The Guardian
“multi-talented artist on a star-bright trajectory.”
--JazzPolice.com
"a self-assured young saxophonist"
--The New York Times
Patrick is currently available for concerts, private functions, clinics, individual or group instruction. Please contact info@patrickcornelius.com for more information.
Selected Discography:
Toru Dodo: Melancholy Cats 1998
Cho Yoon Seung: Jazz Korea 2000
John Urrutia: Bilbao Blues 2000
Patrick Cornelius /Nick Vagenas: Quintet 2001
Philip Dizack: Beyond a Dream 2006
Patrick Cornelius: Lucid Dream 2006
Nick Vayenas: Synesthesia 2008
The TransAtlantic Collective: Traveling Song 2008
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