Sharel Cassity

Biography

Sharel Cassity (pronounced “Sha-Relle”) is an American saxophonist, flutist, composer, and educator known for her vibrant voice on the New York and Chicago jazz scenes.[2][4][6] Born in Iowa City, Iowa, she grew up in a musical family—her father is a pianist and keyboardist—and began piano almost as soon as she could reach the keys, initially imagining a career as a concert pianist.[1][7] After begging for a saxophone from around age eight, she received one at nine and by fourteen had committed herself to jazz, inspired in part by watching her father perform with jazz trios.[1][7] She studied at the University of Central Oklahoma (1996–1999), then transferred to The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, earning her BFA in 2005, and later completed a master’s degree in music at The Juilliard School under a full scholarship in 2007.[1][2][8]

Establishing herself in New York from 2000 to 2016, Cassity became a member of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band in 2008 and went on to work with ensembles such as the Jimmy Heath Big Band, Queens Jazz Orchestra, Nicholas Payton’s Big Band, the Roy Hargrove Big Band, Cyrus Chestnut’s groups, and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, touring internationally to 27 countries.[2][3][8] As a leader she has released multiple albums—among them “Just for You” (2008), “Relentless” (2009), “Manhattan Romance” (2014), “Evolve” (2018), and “Fearless” (2019)—through labels including her own imprints ReIsha Music and Relsha Works; her recordings have drawn critical praise and coverage from publications such as DownBeat, JazzTimes, Jazziz, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and Saxophone Journal.[1][2][3][6] Her style is rooted in modern and post‑bop traditions, combining strong bebop vocabulary with contemporary harmonic and rhythmic concepts, and she has performed with notable figures including Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, Christian McBride, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Natalie Merchant, Vanessa Williams, and others in both jazz and popular settings.[1][2][3][5]

Now based in the Chicago area, Cassity balances performance with an active educational and community‑focused career.[2][3][6] She is on the jazz and classical faculty at DePaul University, Columbia College Chicago, and Elgin Community College, teaching jazz pedagogy, saxophone, flute, and piano, and she founded the Jazz Up! / Jazz Up Institute programs to provide diverse high‑school jazz students regular opportunities to improvise and prepare for collegiate or professional life.[1][2][3][6] After a serious, initially mysterious illness later diagnosed as Lyme disease around 2019, she continued to perform and record—adapting her equipment to keep playing—completing her album “Fearless” even while facing uncertain health prospects, an experience that deepened the sense of gratitude and resilience reflected in her recent work.[1] Her contributions as an improviser, bandleader, and mentor have been recognized with honors such as the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, inclusion in the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, and a 2023 DownBeat Magazine “Rising Star Alto Saxophone” citation, underscoring both her artistic impact and her growing legacy as a role model for younger musicians.[2][3][5][6]

(Where specific years or details of album release and illness dating differ slightly between sources, the account above follows the most recent institutional and press materials.)

Fun Facts

• Her first instrument was piano, and she originally imagined becoming a concert pianist like her aunt before switching her focus to saxophone after receiving one as a Christmas present at age nine.[1][7]
• Cassity has appeared on major American television programs—including the Today Show, Good Morning America, and The Colbert Show—bringing her jazz horn sound to wide mainstream audiences.[2][3][5]
• Her album “Relentless” (2008) received a 4‑star review in DownBeat and reached #21 on the U.S. JazzWeek radio chart, a notable achievement for a leader album of mostly original compositions.[2]
• After becoming severely ill with what was later diagnosed as Lyme disease around 2019, she continued writing and recording, adapting her equipment to make the saxophone easier to play so she could finish her critically praised album “Fearless.”[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Jimmy Heath - NEA Jazz Master saxophonist who worked closely with Cassity in the Jimmy Heath Big Band and Queens Jazz Orchestra, providing direct bandstand mentorship and example in modern bebop and big‑band writing. (Performances with the Jimmy Heath Big Band and Queens Jazz Orchestra; Herbie Hancock–headlined 90th birthday concert for Heath at the Kennedy Center (2017).) [Approximately 2012–2020 for big-band and Queens Jazz Orchestra work; featured 90th birthday concert in 2017.[1][2][7][8]]
• Dizzy Gillespie (legacy/mentorship through his band and philosophy) - Although she did not study with Gillespie personally, Cassity cites early lessons from Dizzy’s example and legacy, and she became a member of the Dizzy Gillespie All‑Star Big Band, working under musical directors who transmit his approach to bebop and big‑band phrasing. (Dizzy Gillespie All‑Star Big Band performances and tours.) [Joined the Dizzy Gillespie All‑Star Big Band in 2008 and has remained associated with its later formations such as the Dizzy Gillespie Afro Latin Experience.[1][2][3]]
• James Moody - NEA Jazz Master saxophonist whose musicianship and teaching Cassity cites among her formative early lessons in passing on the bebop tradition and the importance of teaching. (Shared work connected to the Dizzy Gillespie legacy bands and festival/clinic settings (referenced by Cassity in the context of early lessons rather than a single album credit).) [Mentorship influence discussed retrospectively; professional interactions concentrated after she joined the Dizzy Gillespie All‑Star Big Band (post‑2008).[1]]

Key Collaborators

• Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band / Dizzy Gillespie Afro Latin Experience - Regular saxophonist and section member in big‑band and Afro‑Latin projects carrying on Gillespie’s music; this ensemble is one of her longest and most visible affiliations. (International tours and concerts with the Dizzy Gillespie All‑Star Big Band; ongoing work with the Dizzy Gillespie Afro Latin Experience.) [From 2008 onward, including current membership noted in recent artist profiles.[2][3][8]]
• Roy Hargrove - Cassity performed with trumpeter Roy Hargrove’s big band, absorbing his blend of hard bop and modern groove‑oriented writing. (Roy Hargrove Big Band chair (saxophone) in 2008; various large‑ensemble performances.) [2008.[2]]
• Nicholas Payton - Section saxophonist in Payton’s large ensembles, contributing to his orchestral and studio‑style projects. (Nicholas Payton’s Big Band and later his Television Studio Orchestra.) [Nicholas Payton Big Band 2011–2012; Television Studio Orchestra listed as a current affiliation in recent materials.[2][3]]
• DIVA Jazz Orchestra - Lead alto saxophonist in the all‑female big band, a key platform for her early national exposure. (Tours and festival appearances as lead alto with DIVA Jazz Orchestra.) [Approximately 2007–2013.[2]]
• Cyrus Chestnut - Performed and toured as a member of pianist Cyrus Chestnut’s band, contributing saxophone on his projects and concerts. (Live performances with Cyrus Chestnut (noted in career summaries rather than specific album titles).) [Around 2014.[2]]
• Natalie Merchant - Cassity appeared as a horn player in Merchant’s touring and recording projects, bridging jazz improvisation with singer‑songwriter and pop contexts. (Played with Natalie Merchant 2014–2015, including appearances on the Today Show (2015) and on Merchant’s album and DVD “Paradise Is Here.”) [2014–2015.[2]]
• Herbie Hancock - Featured in an all‑star ensemble with Hancock for a special celebration of Jimmy Heath, placing her alongside one of the most influential pianists in modern jazz. (Performance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for Jimmy Heath’s 90th birthday celebration (2017).) [2017.[2]]
• Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra - Performed with Marsalis and the JLCO in New York, highlighting her integration into premier institutional jazz ensembles. (Performances at Rose Hall and the New York Botanical Garden with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.) [2016.[2]]
• Ingrid Jensen and Mark Whitfield - Collaborated in her electric band Elektra, expanding her sound into more electric, groove‑oriented territory. (DC Jazz Festival performance with her electric band Elektra featuring Ingrid Jensen and Mark Whitfield.) [2016.[2]]
• Jeremy Pelt, Dwayne Burno, Michael Dease, Orrin Evans, E.J. Strickland - Core collaborators on her second album, helping showcase her original compositions in a modern hard‑bop quintet/sextet setting. (Album “Relentless” (2008), which includes six original compositions by Cassity and features this ensemble.) [Recording and release around 2008.[2]]

Artists Influenced

• Students of Jazz Up! / Jazz Up Institute - High‑achieving and diverse high‑school jazz students in Chicago’s northwest suburbs who receive regular coaching, ensemble experience, and improvisation training from Cassity, shaping their musical development and readiness for college or early professional work. (Participation in Jazz Up Institute programs, workshops, and ensembles founded and led by Cassity.) [From the founding of Jazz Up! in 2018 and Jazz Up Institute in 2020 to the present.[1][2]]
• University students at DePaul University, Columbia College Chicago, and Elgin Community College - Undergraduate and pre‑professional musicians studying jazz pedagogy, saxophone, flute, and piano with Cassity, who emphasizes bebop lineage, listening, and professional preparation. (Applied lessons, jazz pedagogy courses, ensemble coaching, and recital projects under her direction at these institutions.) [Faculty appointments noted in sources from the late 2010s onward; ongoing influence as of recent profiles.[1][2][3][6]]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #jazz