"It's a breath of fresh air blowing against the Empire." In many ways, these words sum up the ethos of Donny McCaslin, whose escapades on the tenor saxophone both welcome and sometimes reject contemporary notions of jazz – often simultaneously and with a deep understanding of what came before and what is yet to come. Although he gained widespread recognition for his work as bandleader for David Bowie's farewell LP Blackstar, McCaslin's journey to this point included numerous milestones of an aspiring jazz musician who wanted to push boundaries. McCaslin began playing the saxophone at the age of 12 in Santa Cruz, California, and performed in his father's vibraphonist band during his teenage years. His background and acumen inevitably led to Berklee College of Music, a four-year stint with Gary Burton, and a collaboration with Steps Ahead. Further stations with Maria Schneider, Danilo Pérez, the Gil Evans Orchestra and Elvis Costello also shaped his career. The performance with Bowie eventually sparked McCaslin's ambitions to take his music in exciting new directions and break new ground in what used to be known as jazz fusion. For McCaslin, this meant turning to a mixture of jazz and art-rock, which can be clearly heard in his two most recent albums.

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