Andrew Jay Laster (born May 25, 1961 in

Bethpage, New York Bethpage (formerly known as Central Park) is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located within the Oyster Bay (town), New York, Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the South Shore (Long Isla ...

) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

saxophonist. Laster studied early in his career with Joe Dixon and Dave Burns, both in the 1970s; he lived in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

in the early 1980s, where he attended

Cornish College of the Arts Cornish College of the Arts (CCA) was a Private college, private art school, art college in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1914 by music teacher Nellie Cornish. The college's main campus is in the Denny Triangle, Seattle, Denny Triangle ...

and played local gigs. He relocated to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

later in the 1980s, and played saxophone on

Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American country singer and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded 14 albums and released 25 singles to dat ...

's albums and tours between 1989 and 1995. In the 1990s he became increasingly visible as a jazz musician, working with the groups New and Used and Orange Then Blue, as well as with Marty Ehrlich,

Erik Friedlander Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City. A veteran of New York City's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with sax ...

, Phil Haynes,

Mark Helias Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He started playing the double bass at the age of 20, and studied with Homer Mensch at Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then ...

, and

Bobby Previte Bobby Previte (born July 16, 1951 in Niagara Falls, New York) is a drummer, composer, and bandleader. He earned a degree in economics from the University at Buffalo, where he also studied percussion. He moved to New York City in 1979 and began ...

. As a leader, he has had sidemen including Friedlander,

Drew Gress Drew Gress (born November 20, 1959) is an American jazz double-bassist and composer born in Trenton, New Jersey and raised in the Philadelphia area. Biography Gress studied at Towson State University and Manhattan School of Music. In the late ...

Tom Rainey Tom Rainey (born 1957) is an American jazz drummer. Career After attending Berklee College of Music he moved to New York in 1979. He has played with Tim Berne, Nels Cline, Drew Gress, Mark Helias, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, Simon Nabatov, Tom ...

Herb Robertson Clarence C. "Herb" Robertson (February 21, 1951 – December 10, 2024) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on February 21, 1951, and attended the Berklee College of Music. He recorded solo alb ...

Cuong Vu Cuong Vu (Cường Vũ) (born 19 September 1969) is a Vietnamese-American jazz trumpeter. In addition to his own work as a bandleader, Vu was a member of the Pat Metheny Group. He is the first American person of Vietnamese descent to win a Grammy ...

, and Kenny Wolleson."Andy Laster". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd edition, ed.

Barry Kernfeld Barry Dean Kernfeld (born August 11, 1950) is an American musicologist and jazz saxophonist who has researched and published extensively about the history of jazz and the biographies of its musicians. Education In 1968, Kernfeld enrolled at ...

Discography

* ''Hippo Stomp'' (Sound Aspects, 1989) * ''Twirler'' (Sound Aspects, 1990) * ''Hydra'' (Sound Aspects, 1994) * ''Polyogue'' (Songlines, 1995) * ''Interpretations of Lessness'' (Songlines, 1997) * ''Soft Shell'' (Knitting Factory, 2000) * ''Window Silver Bright'' (New World, 2002) * ''Riptide'' (Tzadik, 2011)

References

American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Musicians from New York (state) 1961 births Living people 21st-century American saxophonists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Orange Then Blue members Ghost Train Orchestra members Lyle Lovett and His Large Band members {{US-jazz-saxophonist-stub