Biography
John Ellis is an American saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer widely regarded as one of New York’s premier tenor saxophone voices, known for blending the celebratory spirit of New Orleans with the intensity of the New York scene.[3][4] Raised in rural North Carolina, a few miles outside a tiny town of about 200 people, he was encouraged toward the arts by his mother, an English teacher, and pursued formal training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.[1][2] In 1993 he moved to New Orleans to study with pianist Ellis Marsalis, absorbing the city’s rhythmic feel and gospel- and funk-inflected traditions, and released his debut album The Language of Love in 1996 before relocating to New York City in 1997.[1][2]
Since settling in New York, Ellis has built a dual reputation as an ambitious bandleader and a first-call sideman. He has released more than a dozen albums as a leader (fourteen, by his own site’s count), including projects with his New Orleans-centered band Double-Wide, which has toured extensively and appeared on the main stage of the Newport Jazz Festival in 2012.[1][3][4] As a composer, he has created three large-scale narrative works—Dreamscapes, The Ice Siren, and MOBRO—commissioned by The Jazz Gallery in collaboration with playwright Andy Bragen, with MOBRO (2014) using the story of the infamous trash barge to explore environmental themes.[1][3] He has also written music for children and media, co‑producing the Baby Loves Jazz series and composing the theme for NPR’s Rough Translation podcast.[3][4]
Ellis’s musical style draws on big band language, Brazilian and New Orleans grooves, gospel-tinged funk, and modern jazz harmony, often described as occupying an “imaginary space” between New Orleans warmth and New York edge.[1][3] His robust but flexible tenor sound and rhythmic sophistication have made him a favored collaborator for artists ranging from organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith to pop icon Sting, leading to more than 150 sideman recording credits.[1][3][4] Recognition includes second place in the 2002 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition and multiple composition grants from The Jazz Gallery, as well as being named the 2014 Make Jazz Fellow by the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica.[1][3][4] Through his recordings, commissions, and teaching, Ellis has become a significant voice in contemporary jazz, particularly in projects that marry narrative concepts with adventurous, groove-oriented writing.[1][3][5]
Fun Facts
- Ellis grew up “two and a half miles outside” a tiny North Carolina town of about 200 people, yet went on to become a first‑call New York saxophonist with more than 150 sideman album credits.[1][3]
- His large‑scale work MOBRO is based on the real‑life story of the infamous trash barge MOBRO 4000 and uses that narrative to address environmental issues through jazz composition.[1]
- Ellis co‑produced the Baby Loves Jazz children’s book and music series, bringing jazz to very young listeners with playful arrangements and characters.[3][4]
- He wrote the theme music for NPR’s podcast Rough Translation, extending his compositional voice beyond the jazz world into narrative audio storytelling.[3][4]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Ellis Marsalis - Principal jazz mentor in New Orleans; Ellis moved there specifically to study with him and later played in his band. (Live performances with Ellis Marsalis’s group (primary impact is pedagogical and stylistic rather than on specific commercial recordings).) [1993–late 1990s]
Key Collaborators
- Charlie Hunter - Frequent collaborator; Ellis has recorded and toured extensively as a saxophonist in Hunter’s groove‑oriented projects. (Multiple albums and tours (Ellis is listed among Hunter’s regular saxophonists).) [2000s–2010s[1][3][4]]
- Dr. Lonnie Smith - Key organ‑trio and small‑group collaborator; Ellis has been a regular saxophonist in Smith’s bands. (Sideman on several Dr. Lonnie Smith projects and live performances.) [2000s–2010s[1][2][3]]
- Miguel Zenón - New York contemporary jazz peer; Ellis appears as a sideman on Zenón’s recordings. (Albums by Miguel Zenón on which Ellis is credited as a saxophonist.) [2010s[1][2]]
- Darcy James Argue - Member of Argue’s acclaimed big band; Ellis contributes as a saxophonist in large‑ensemble, modern big band settings. (Recordings and performances with Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society.) [2000s–2010s[1][2][3][4]]
- Sting - High‑profile pop collaboration; Ellis has recorded with Sting as a horn player. (Studio recordings and/or live dates where Ellis is credited among horn players.) [2000s[1][3][4]]
- Kendrick Scott / Kendrick Scott Oracle - Ellis is a recurrent saxophonist in drummer Kendrick Scott’s ensemble Oracle and related projects. (Albums by Kendrick Scott Oracle featuring Ellis in the saxophone section.) [2010s[2][3][4]]
- Helen Sung - Pianist and bandleader who regularly features Ellis in her groups and recordings. (Several Helen Sung albums with Ellis as a featured saxophonist.) [2010s[1][2][3][4]]
- Robert Glasper - Ellis appears as a sideman on projects connected to Glasper’s broad jazz/R&B crossover work. (Recording credits with Robert Glasper listed on Ellis’s discography.) [2000s–2010s[3][4]]
- Double-Wide (band members) - Ellis’s own New Orleans‑centered band, described as an “urban carnival” ensemble blending funk, second‑line, and modern jazz; recurring core collaborators. (Three leader albums featuring Double-Wide, including One Foot in the Swamp and later releases on his Parade Light label.) [mid‑2000s–2010s[1][2][3][4]]
- Andy Bragen - Playwright collaborator on Ellis’s Jazz Gallery–commissioned narrative works; Bragen provides texts and concepts, Ellis composes the music. (“Dreamscapes”, “The Ice Siren”, “MOBRO”.) [late 2000s–2010s[1][3]]
- Aaron Goldberg - Co‑producer and musical collaborator on children’s jazz projects. (Co‑produced the Baby Loves Jazz children’s book and music series.) [2000s[3][4]]
- Glenn Patscha and Adam Levy - Core partners on the trio‑like project behind Ellis’s 2021 album. (Album Say It Quiet (Sunnyside Records, 2021).) [late 2010s–2021[3]]
Artists Influenced
- Students at The New School School of Jazz and Contemporary Music - Ellis teaches at The New School, mentoring young saxophonists and composers who absorb his New Orleans–New York hybrid aesthetic and narrative approach to jazz composition. (Student ensembles, recitals, and original pieces shaped in his improvisation and composition classes.) [2010s–present[5]]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Freeride - Nursery Rhymes Redefined | 2025-05-17 | Album |
| Heroes | 2025-03-14 | Album |
| Happy People (Deluxe) | 2025-10-10 | Album |
| One Foot in the Swamp | 2005-02-22 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Solitude (Eleven Moons)
- 11 Moons (Eleven Moons)
- 3 Marias (Wanderlust)
- Running In Fear From Imaginary Assailants (Friends Seen and Unseen (2022 Remaster))
- Suite America Latina (Eleven Moons)
- Encontros e Despedidas (Eleven Moons)
- Ethereal (For Alana) (Wanderlust)
- Mystery To Me (Mystery To Me (20th Anniversary Edition))
- 7 Seas (Wanderlust)
- Time Stands Still (Mystery To Me (20th Anniversary Edition))
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
John Ellis has been played 4 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2, 2026 | 08:07 | Three Jewelsfrom Heroes | The Morning Setw/ Dave Dauterive | |
| Dec 9, 2025 | 16:09 | color wheelfrom heroes | Jazz from Jax Breweryw/ T.R. Johnson | |
| Dec 9, 2025 | 16:09 | color wheelfrom heroes | Jazz from Jax Breweryw/ T.R. Johnson | |
| Dec 5, 2025 | 08:47 | Linus and the Lyrefrom Heroes | The Morning Setw/ Dave Dauterive |