Dayna Stephens

Tenor saxophonist and composer Dayna Stephens is an adept post-bop musician whose harmonically rich, sonically textural style reflects the influence of players like Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, and Charlie Rouse. Following his emergence in the early 2000s, he has played with a bevy of heavy-hitting jazz artists, including Phil Ranelin, Ambrose Akinmusire, Kenny Barron, and others. He's released a number of highly engaging small-group albums, including 2013's That Nepenthetic Place, 2017's Gratitude with Brad Mehldau, and 2020's Right Now! Live at the Village Vanguard, the latter featuring Stephens' quartet with Aaron Parks, Ben Street, and Gregory Hutchinson. He featured the same group on 2025's Hopium.