For years, Tivon Pennicott has been transporting audiences and listeners to a higher level of consciousness. The highly sought saxophone player, composer and multi-instrumentalist is a three-time GRAMMY Award winner, appearing on Esperanza Spalding’s disruptive recording Radio Music Society(Heads Up International, 2012) and Gregory Porter’s Liquid Spirit(Blue Note, 2013). He has collaborated with such visionaries as Stevie Wonder, Roy Hargrove, Maria Schneider, Randy Brecker and Wynton Marsalis, and continues to enjoy a decade-long association with Kenny Burrell and the Jazz Heritage All Stars. Touring the world with Porter, Pennicott has performed at iconic venues, including The Royal Albert Hall in London, the Berliner Philharmonie in Germanyand Carnegie Hall in New York. On screen, he has become a fixture on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as a regular member of the Stay Human Band with Jon Batiste, an artist with whom he has played a weeklong engagement at The Village Vanguard.
A Georgia native living in New York City, Pennicott earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. As a player, Pennicott expresses an evolving sound—the result of a soulful and sophisticated foundation for groove he honed in the church, and a penchant for harmonic exploration that reflects the depth of his ear. While he has played an elemental role in advancing and transforming sounds of many innovative artists, Pennicott’s work as a leader is only beginning. His quartet has appeared at the Atlanta Jazz Festival and Spivey Hall in 2017 and 2018, respectively, as well as Smalls Jazz Club, Dizzy’s Club Coca-cola and The Jazz Gallery in New York City.
Strong intention and receptive impulses that allow Pennicott to serve every situation—from Ari Hoenig’s rhythmic labyrinths to Al Foster’s resonating soundscapes—pervade his original compositions, as well. In 2014, Pennicott released his debut recording as a leader Lover of Nature on New Phrase Records, a project that features equally curious musical minds: Mike Battaglia, Spencer Murphy and Kenneth Salters. As his career continues its upward trajectory, Pennicott will be releasing his sophomore recording in the fall of 2019. Stay tuned.
