A forward-thinking jazz saxophonist and educator, Jeremy Udden has a harmonically sophisticated style and genre-bending approach that often combines folk, rock, and post-bop. Initially emerging in the 2000s, he has worked with trumpeter John McNeil and the Either/Orchestra, as well as issuing his own inventive albums like 2011's If the Past Seems So Bright and 2015's Belleville Project with bassist Nicolas Moreaux. Born in Plainville, Massachusetts in 1978, Udden first began playing saxophone in elementary school and by his teens had developed into a gifted performer. During high school, he played in various band and orchestra ensembles, as well as his own jazz and ska groups. In his senior year, he was accepted into the competitive All-Eastern Jazz Ensemble and the Grammy Band. After high school, he majored in jazz performance at the New England Conservatory, where he studied privately with such highly respected players/teachers as Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Allan Chase, and others. Since graduating in 2000, Udden has worked steadily, playing regularly with a handful of ensembles including the Either/Orchestra, his own folk/jazz/rock-fusion ensemble Plainville, and Hush Point with trumpeter John McNeil, bassist Aryeh Kobrinsky, and drummer Anthony Pinciotti. As a leader, he made his debut with Torchsongs on Fresh Sound New Talent in 2006. Three years later, Plainville released their self-titled debut, followed in 2011 by If the Past Seems So Bright. Along with performing, Udden is a dedicated educator who has worked as an instructor at various institutions including the New England Conservatory of Music, the University of Rhode Island, the Longy School of Music, Emerson College, and Brooklyn's Packer Collegiate Institute, among others. In 2012, he delivered his sophomore solo effort, Folk Art, featuring fellow Plainville members -- banjo player Brandon Seabrook, bassist Jeremy Stratton, drummer Kenny Wollesen, keyboardist Pete Rende, and others. He then joined bassist Nicolas Moreaux on Belleville Project before reuniting with McNeil for 2017's Hush Point, Vol. 3. Three in Paris arrived in 2019 and again showcased Udden's ongoing work with Moreaux, this time with added drummer John Betsch. ~ Matt Collar