"Jimmy Greene . . . . the tenor player is good for a couple of body chills every time you see him."
- Jim Macnie, The Village Voice
“Jimmy Greene, a towering young tenorist of abundant talent, keeps his head down and weathers the storm in neo-Coltrane style...”
- Jack Massarik, Evening Standard
Jimmy's music is deeply intertwined with a profound personal tragedy - the heartbreaking loss of his 6-year-old daughter, Ana, in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Despite this immense loss, Jimmy has channeled his grief into creating music that honors and celebrates her life and spirit. This journey led to the release of the GRAMMY®-nominated albums Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue Records, 2014) and Flowers: Beautiful Life, Volume 2 (Mack Avenue Records, 2017).
In his latest album, While Looking Up, Jimmy found inspiration in the wise words of his pastor, who encouraged him to seek strength and peace by looking upwards when facing adversity. Through his music, Jimmy continues to navigate his grief with grace and resilience, touching the hearts of many with his heartfelt compositions.
A native of Connecticut, Greene is considered one of the most respected saxophonists of his generation. His previous solo releases, Flowers: Beautiful Life Vol. 2 (Mack Avenue), the GRAMMY®-nominated Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue), Live at Smalls (SmallsLive), Mission Statement (RazDaz/Sunnyside), The Overcomers Suite (NuJazz), Gifts and Givers (Criss Cross), True Life Stories (Criss Cross), Forever (Criss Cross), Brand New World (RCA Victor) and Introducing Jimmy Greene (Criss Cross) have been met with much critical acclaim. In fact, Tony Hall of Jazzwise Magazine (UK) calls Greene “ . . . . without doubt one of the most striking young tenors of recent years.”
Greene and his groups perform regularly in jazz venues, festivals and clubs worldwide, including Jazz Standard (New York), Newport Jazz Festival (Rhode Island), Detroit Jazz Festival (Michigan), TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival (Canada), Le Club (Moscow), Casa del Jazz (Rome), Sunside Jazz Club (Paris), Red Sea Jazz Festival (Israel), Lapataia Jazz Festival (Uruguay) and Amazonas Jazz Festival (Brazil). In one such appearance, Jim Macnie of the Village Voice said,"[Greene] is good for a couple of body chills every time you see him. He's got a big barrelhouse sound, and a way of negotiating changes that make academic moves seem natural." Greene's television performances in support of his recordings have included spots on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC-TV), CBS This Morning and The Meredith Vieira Show (Nationally Syndicated). Greene has also performed and presented in churches, faith-based conferences, mental health conferences and arts symposiums throughout the United States and Canada.
Sample Jimmy’s powerful sound in the videos below.