Jake Saslow wants all the eligible ladies to know that he’s single and a musician. But he’s not just any musician, he’s one who plays one of the sexiest instruments of all: tenor saxophone.
Joking aside (unless you really want to date him, and in that case, he’s totally open to the possibility), Saslow is one of the lucky few to have made it into the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, housed at Loyola.
Saslow, 26, grew up in Staten Island, N.Y. with parents who participated and performed in the arts. “My mom is a classical vocalist … and my dad is a photographer,” he said. “I guess the arts are in my family.”
When Saslow was in the fourth grade, his parents urged him to play an instrument. He started off with the clarinet and later switched to the tenor saxophone because, as he said, “The range was the closest to my voice so I felt like I could speak through the instrument more clearly.”
Saslow continued to play the sax throughout high school in jazz ensembles with his private tutor, Gary Meyer. He even participated in the Grammy All-American Jazz Band, an ensemble of a select group of high school students chosen to perform in association with the annual Grammy Awards.
As a chosen member of the elect, Saslow enjoyed a free trip to sunny Los Angeles for a week, got to perform at the Grammy pre-show party, and later attended the star studded-event when J.Lo, still sporting Puffy on her arm, wore her revealing green v-neck (and chest) dress.
“It was fun, but we couldn’t see anything because they sat us way in the back, so it didn’t matter,” Saslow said, laughing.
But it was through this rare opportunity that Saslow met Justin DiCioccio, who was the director of the Grammy Band and is the assistant dean of the jazz division at the Manhattan School of Music. DiCioccio offered Saslow a scholarship to attend the Manhattan School of Music, and he accepted, relocating to the Big Apple to study jazz.
“The music scene in New York can be a little intimidating, but it can also be very inspiring,” he said. “When I finally realized that music wasn’t a competition and that every musician just wanted a greater good to create music, then it’s not as intimidating.”
Hard times fell on this young musician after graduating in 2004. Saslow struggled to pay his rent and became a bartender in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and the West Village for two years before being drawn to audition for the institute – which, as a bonus to him, is completely free.
Saslow exudes enthusiasm and humor with every joke he tells and every laugh he gives exactly preceding it. Contrary to his current state of confidence, the musical veteran was nervous during his audition for the institute.
“I just start to focus on my breathing when I’m nervous,” he said. “Because all music and all life starts with the breath.”
Today, Saslow practices four hours a day – every day – with some of the best teachers of jazz in the country. And both the program and Saslow himself place a heavy emphasis on music composition and learning. Through the program, Saslow also teaches a jazz combo at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and hopes the kids have learned as much from him as he has learned from them.
“Jake’s a great educator because he’s patient, clear and articulate with the children,” said Colin Stranahan, the drummer in the institute. “He’s also great with composition. He’s the only musician I know who composes and plays in the same style.”
And even though you can hear some original songs from Saslow on his myspace page, www.myspacemusic.com/jakesaslow, don’t expect to buy any kind of CD pre-packaged with cover art and inside photography anytime soon.
“I still want to put out a CD,” said Saslow. “It’s a big project that has been on my mind but I’m hesitant to do it until I have a meaningful musical statement that I want to commit to a recording.”
See that, ladies: He’s a man with a plan to change the world, one late-night sax performance at a time.
Briana Prevost can be reached at [email protected].
