{{Short description|American saxophonist (born 1966)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Donny McCaslin | image = Donny-maccaslin DSC07853.jpg | image_size = | caption = McCaslin at Aarhus Festival, Denmark 2018 | birth_name = Donald Paul McCaslin | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|8|11|mf=y}} | birth_place = Santa Clara, California | origin = | genre = Jazz | occupation = Musician | instrument = Saxophone | years_active = 1978–present | label = Naxos, Arabesque, Criss Cross Jazz, Sunnyside, Greenleaf, SkyDeck | associated_acts = Ken Schaphorst, Gary Burton, Steps Ahead, Maria Schneider, David Bowie, Ryan Dahle | website = {{URL|www.donnymccaslin.com}} }}
'''Donald Paul McCaslin''' (born August 11, 1966) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has recorded over a dozen albums as a bandleader in addition to many sideman appearances, including on David Bowie's final studio album, ''Blackstar'' (2016).
==Early life== McCaslin was born in Santa Clara, California, on August 11, 1966.<ref name="am" /> His father was a vibraphonist, and McCaslin played in his father's ensemble at the age of twelve.<ref name="am" /> He had his own group in high school, which played three years at the Monterey Jazz Festival.<ref name="am">{{cite web|title =Donny McCaslin: Biography |first=Eleanour|last=Ditzel |publisher=AllMusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p157349/biography|pure_url=yes}} |access-date =2010-12-21}}</ref>
==Musical career== [[File:Jazzaldia2017-DONNY MCCASLIN QUARTET-ConcertPlazaTrinidad 03.jpg|thumb|Concert at Donostia Jazz Festival 2017]] In 1987, after studying at Berklee College of Music, McCaslin joined Gary Burton's group and toured the world with him for four years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Donny McCaslin|url=https://necmusic.edu/faculty/donny-mccaslin|access-date=2021-11-08|website=necmusic.edu|language=en}}</ref><ref name="am" /> In 1991 he moved to New York City and was a member of Steps Ahead.<ref name="am" />
In November 2014, McCaslin played saxophone on David Bowie's single "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)".<ref name="am" /> Subsequently he would play saxophone on Bowie's 2016 album ''Blackstar''.<ref>Chinen, Nate [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/05/arts/music/on-david-bowies-blackstar-turning-to-jazz-for-inspiration.html On David Bowie's 'Blackstar,' Turning to Jazz for Inspiration] ''The New York Times''. January 5, 2016</ref>
On October 14, 2016, McCaslin released ''Beyond Now'', inspired by his experience recording ''Blackstar''.<ref name="am" /> The album features the same band that appeared on ''Blackstar'' - Tim Lefebvre on bass, Jason Lindner on keyboards, and Mark Guiliana on drums.<ref name="pitch" /> The album includes two Bowie covers, as well as covers of MUTEMATH, Deadmau5, and The Chainsmokers, plus five original tracks.<ref name="pitch">Pearce, Sheldon [http://pitchfork.com/news/67189-david-bowies-blackstar-band-announces-new-album-shares-a-small-plot-of-land-cover/ David Bowie's Blackstar Band Announces New Album, Shares "A Small Plot of Land" Cover]. ''Pitchfork''. July 30, 2016/</ref>
NPR's All Songs Considered called McCaslin's "What About the Body" single "exhilarating art-rock".<ref name="npr">{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2018/06/12/618302355/new-mix-m-ward-david-bowie-saxophonist-donny-mccaslin-sad-baxter-more |title=New Mix: M. Ward, David Bowie Saxophonist Donny McCaslin, Sad Baxter, More |website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref> The album it came from, ''Blow'', was awarded New Jazz Album of the Year by JazzJapan.<ref name="jazzjapan">{{Cite journal|date=March 2019|title=JazzJapan Award 2018|url=http://www.jazzjapan.co.jp/vol102.html|journal=JazzJapan|volume=102|pages=007}}</ref>
==Grammy nominations== * 2004: Best Jazz Instrumental Solo – "Bulería, Soleá Y Rumba" on ''Concert in the Garden'' by Maria Schneider<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/news/grammys-on-the-road-with-donny-mccaslin-and-poncho-s-nchez|title=GRAMMYs On The Road With Donny McCaslin And Poncho Sánchez|website=Grammy.com}}</ref><ref name="Gram">{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/donny-mccaslin/15303 |title=GRAMMY Award Results for Donny McCaslin |access-date=January 26, 2020|website=Grammy.com}}</ref> * 2013: Best Improvised Jazz Solo – "Stadium Jazz" on ''Casting for Gravity''<ref name="Gram" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/news/exploring-the-jazz-field-nominees-0|title=Exploring The Jazz Field Nominees|website=Grammy.com}}</ref> * 2015: Best Improvised Jazz Solo – "Arbiters of Evolution" on ''The Thompson Fields'' by Maria Schneider<ref name="Gram" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees |title=Nominees and Winners | GRAMMY.com |access-date=2014-03-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201232857/http://www.grammy.com/nominees |archive-date=2011-12-01 }}</ref>
==Discography== ===As leader=== thumb|McCaslin in Aarhus, Denmark
* ''Exile and Discovery'' (Naxos, 1998) * ''Seen from Above'' (Arabesque, 2000) * ''The Way Through'' (Arabesque, 2003) * ''Soar'' (Sunnyside, 2006) * ''Give and Go'' (Criss Cross Jazz, 2006) * ''In Pursuit'' (Sunnyside, 2007) * ''Recommended Tools'' (Greenleaf, 2008) * ''Declaration'' (Sunnyside, 2009) * ''Perpetual Motion'' (Greenleaf, 2010) * ''Casting for Gravity'' (Greenleaf, 2012) * ''Fast Future'' (Greenleaf, 2015) * ''Beyond Now'' (Motéma, 2016) * ''Blow.'' (Motéma, 2018) * ''Jong Metropole Orkest'' (Rotterdam 2022) * ''I Want More'' (Edition Records, 2023) * ''Lullaby for the Lost'' (Edition Records, 2025)
===Collaborations=== ====With Lan Xang==== * ''Lan Xang'' with David Binney, Scott Colley, Jeff Hirschfield (1998) * ''Hidden Gardens'' with David Binney, Scott Colley, Kenny Wolensen (2000)
====With Dave Douglas==== * ''Meaning and Mystery'' (Greenleaf, 2006) * ''Live at the Jazz Standard'' (Greenleaf, 2007)
====With The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra==== * ''Concert in the Garden'' (ArtistShare, 2004) * ''Sky Blue'' (ArtistShare, 2007) * ''The Thompson Fields'' (ArtistShare, 2015) * ''Data Lords'' (ArtistShare, 2020)
====With David Bowie==== * "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" (ISO, 2015)<ref>{{cite book|last=Pegg |first=Nicholas |title=The Complete David Bowie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LqFkDQAAQBAJ |publisher=Titan Books |location=London |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78565-365-0 |edition=Revised and Updated |pages=269–271}}</ref> * ''Blackstar'' (ISO, 2016)<ref>{{cite book|last=Pegg |first=Nicholas |title=The Complete David Bowie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LqFkDQAAQBAJ |publisher=Titan Books |location=London |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78565-365-0 |edition=Revised and Updated |pages=471–472}}</ref> * ''No Plan'' (Columbia, 2017)
===As sideman=== * Tyler Collins, ''Tyler'' (RCA, 1992) * Bruno Raberg, ''Pentimento'' (Boston Skyline, 1992) * Terence Trent D'Arby, ''Terence Trent D'Arby's Symphony or Damn'' (Columbia, 1993) * Tia Carrere, ''Dream'' (Reprise, 1993) * Nokko, ''Call Me Nightlife'' (Epic, 1993) * Nokko, ''I Will Catch U'' (Sony, 1993) * Virgil Moorefield, ''Distractions On the Way to the King's Party'' (Cuneiform, 1994) * Steps Ahead, ''Vibe'' (NYC, 1995) * Scott Colley, ''Portable Universe'' (Free Lance, 1996) * Rachel Z, ''Room of One's Own'' (NYC, 1996) * Hector Martignon, ''Portrait in White and Black'' (Candid, 1996) * Roberta Piket, ''Unbroken Line'' (Criss Cross, 1997) * Hector Martignon, ''The Foreign Affair'' (Candid, 1998) * Reuben Wilson, ''Organ Donor'' (Jazzateria, 1998) * Ken Schaphorst Big Band, ''Purple'' (Naxos, 1999) * Luis Bonilla, ''Escucha!'' (Candid, 2000) * New York Voices, ''Sing! Sing! Sing!'' (Concord Jazz, 2001) * David Binney, ''Balance'' (ACT, 2002) * Tony Monaco, ''Master Chops T'' (Summit, 2002) * Alex Sipiagin, ''Mirrors'' (Criss Cross, 2002) * Steve Hass, ''Traveler'' (Hassbeat, 2003) * Danilo Perez, ''Till Then'' (Verve, 2003) * George Schuller, ''Round 'Bout Now'' (Playscape, 2003) * Luciana Souza, ''North and South'' (Limited Edition 2003) * Ethan Winogrand, ''Made in Brooklyn'' (Clean Feed, 2003) * Hans Glawischnig, ''Common Ground'' (Fresh Sound, 2004) * Bruno Raberg, ''Chrysalis'' (OrbisMusic, 2004) * Fahir Atakoglu, ''If'' (Far & Here, 2005) * Luis Bonilla, ''Trombonilla: Terminal Clarity'' (Now Jazz Consortium, 2005) * Gene Ess, ''Sandbox and Sanctum'' (Simp, 2005) * Matthias Lupri, ''Metalix'' (Summit, 2006) * Torben Waldorff, ''Brilliance'' (Artistshare, 2006) * Kenichi Doami, ''Chronicle'' (2007) * Alex Sipiagin, ''Out of the Circle'' (ArtistShare, 2007) * Kate McGarry, ''If Less Is More'' (Palmetto, 2008) * George Schuller, ''Like Before Somewhat After'' (Playscape, 2008) * Gary Versace, ''Outside In'' (Criss Cross, 2008) * Torben Waldorff, ''Afterburn'' (Artistshare, 2008) * Julie Lamontagne Trio, ''Now What'' (Justin Time, 2009) * Dave Lisik, ''Coming Through Slaughter: The Bolden Legend'' (SkyDeck Music, 2009) * Geggie Trio, ''Across the Sky'' (Plunge, 2010) * Bobby McFerrin, ''Vocabularies'' (Emarcy, 2010) * Torben Waldorff, ''American Rock Beauty'' (Artistshare, 2010) * Joel Harrison, ''Search'' (Sunnyside, 2011) * Ethan Winogrand, ''Half Full'' (Every Good Song, 2011) * Marshall Gilkes, ''Sound Stories'' (Alternate Side, 2012) * Hutchinson Andrew Trio, ''Prairie Modern'' (Chronograph, 2013) * Samo Salamon, ''Stretching Out'' (Samo, 2013) * Antonio Sánchez, ''New Life'' (CAM Jazz, 2013) * Thana Alexa, ''Ode to Heroes'' (Jazz Village, 2014) * Alon Nechushtan, ''Venture Bound'' (Enja, 2014) * Kenny Carr, ''Idle Talk'' (CDBaby, 2014) * Dave Lisik, ''Machaut Man and a Superman Hat'' (Rattle, 2014) * Pavel Wlosok Trio, ''Alternate Reality'' (CDBaby, 2014) * Enrico Pieranunzi, ''Proximity'' (CAM Jazz, 2015) * Monkey House, ''Left'' (Alma, 2016) * Enrico Pieranunzi, ''New Spring'' (CAM Jazz, 2016) * WinterFisch Quartet, ''Timeless'' (Jazz Sick, 2016) * Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr, ''Landed in Brooklyn'' (ACT, 2017) * Art Hirahara, ''Central Line'' (Posi-Tone, 2017) * Art Hirahara, ''Sunward Bound'' (Posi-Tone, 2018) * Michael Leonhart, ''The Painted Lady Suite'' (Sunnyside, 2018) * Sun Kil Moon, ''I Also Want to Die in New Orleans'' (Caldo Verde, 2019)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.donnymccaslin.com/ Official site]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McCaslin, Donny}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:American jazz saxophonists Category:American male saxophonists Category:Musicians from Santa Cruz, California Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Arabesque Records artists Category:Criss Cross Jazz artists Category:21st-century American saxophonists Category:Jazz musicians from California Category:21st-century American male musicians Category:American male jazz musicians Category:Steps Ahead members Category:Motéma Music artists Category:Sunnyside Records artists