Marcus Strickland


Marcus Strickland is an American jazz soprano, alto, and tenor saxophonist. He was born in Gainesville, Florida, and grew up in Miami. Down Beat magazine's Critics' Poll named him 'Rising Star on Tenor Saxophone' in 2010 and 'Rising Star on Soprano Saxophone' in 2008. JazzTimes magazine's Reader's Poll named him 'Best New Artist' in 2006. He placed third in the 2002 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Additionally, he teaches jazz saxophone at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.
His band and concept project, Twi-Life deals with the connection and intersection between jazz and Soul & Hip Hop as inspired by the J Dilla aesthetic of intricacy, “drunk drumming” and tonal nuance. Strickland becomes beat maker, composer as well as saxophonist on these projects.
The saxophonist has nine releases as a leader: People of the Sun, Nihil Novi on Blue Note Records; Triumph of the Heavy, Vol 1 & 2, Idiosyncrasies, Open Reel Deck, & Twi-Life on his own music label Strick Muzik ; Of Song on Criss Cross Records; Brotherhood & At Last on Fresh Sound Records.
In addition to his own Twi-Life, trio and quartet, Strickland has played with Christian McBride, Dave Douglas, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, and also had a five-year stint with the drummer Roy Haynes. Strickland has been on two Grammy-nominated recordings. He considers his father an early inspiration, as he had been a drummer in jazz and rhythm and blues but is now a lawyer. Marcus' twin brother E.J. Strickland is a drummer, and is a member of Marcus' quartet and leads his own quintet as well.

Select discography

As leader

  • At Last
  • Brotherhood
  • Twi-Life
  • Open Reel Deck
  • Of Song
  • Idiosyncrasies
  • Triumph of the Heavy, Vol. 1 & 2
  • Nihil Novi
  • People of the Sun
  • ''The Universe's Wildest Dream''

    As sideman

With Bilal
  • VOYAGE-19
With Dave Douglas
With Roy Haynes
  • Fountain of Youth
With Mike Moreno
With Lonnie Plaxico
  • Melange
  • Lonnie Plaxico Live at the 5:01 Jazz Bar
  • Live at the Zinc Bar
With E. J. Strickland
With Bart Tarenskeen
With Charles Tolliver
With Christian McBride
With Jeff "Tain" Watts
  • Detained
  • Folk's Songs
With Chris "Daddy" Dave
With Ben Williams
  • State of Art
  • Coming of Age
  • I Am A Man
With José James
With Robert Glasper
  • ''Mood''