Chris Vadala

Saxophonist, clarinetist, but also professor emeritus, Chris Vadala has participated in more than 100 recordings and has received numerous awards during his career. He has played alongside B.B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.

Born in 1948 in Poughkeepsie, New York, Chris Vadala is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he received a certificate in saxophone and music education, and of Connecticut College, where he earned a master's degree in clarinet.

He then taught at several music schools and supervised numerous jazz groups. Among the schools where he taught were the Eastman School of Music, the University of Maryland, Connecticut College and the University of Hampton.

He first worked mainly with Chuck Mangione, then multiplied collaborations throughout his career: B.B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder. He also participates in countless film and television scores (from Fargo and Zombieland to Saturday Night Live and Criminal Minds) playing saxophone, flute and clarinet.

In 1999, he recorded the album Out of the Shadows under his own name. He then released Easter Standard Time with Rick Whitehead (2015) and Ghost Dialogues with Chris Gekker, Rita Sloan and Clara O'Brien (2017). In 2009, he became a member of the award-winning Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. He was also the first saxophonist in the National Symphony Orchestra for many years.

Died of cancer in January 2019, Chris Vadala was recognized as a great jazzman but also as a dedicated, generous and passionate teacher. He participated in over 100 recordings, played in over 50 countries, won two Grammys and a Golden Globe Award.