Mark Kazanoff

Saxophonist Mark 'Kaz' Kazanoff is well known to blues, rhythm and blues, and jazz fans around the world. Kaz has contributed horn arrangements, saxophone and harmonica solos, and original songs to more than 130 record albums over the last 25 years, as well as producing many CD's, but he still thinks of himself as a live musician! Albums Kaz has played on and produced have been nominated for and won Grammy and W.C. Handy Awards.

For the last five years, as a tribute to the high quality of his live and studio performances, Kaz himself has been nominated each year for a W. C. Handy award in the Blues Performance Instrumental Categories. Delbert McClinton's excellent CD "Live From Austin" featured Kaz' sax work, and won a Grammy as Best Blues Album. Kaz co-produced, performed on, and arranged W.C. Clarks acclaimed "Texas Soul" CD, which won the W.C. Handy award in 1997 as Best Soul/Blues album. Other recent production credits include Marcia Ball ("Let Me Play With Your Poodle" for Rounder Records), Pat Boyack ("Super Blue and Funky" for Rounder Records), Bob Margolin ("Hold Me To It" for Blind Pig Records), and Long John Hunter. Kaz played on and arranged the horns for "The Lone Star Shootout" Alligator CD (1999), featuring Lonnie Brooks, Philip Walker, and Long John Hunter.

The movie "The Client" featured Kaz' song, "She Said" (from The Tri-Sax-Ual Soul Champs Blacktop CD). Other songs of his have been used in TV shows such as "The Big Easy", and international TV commercials (American Express). Kaz can be seen and heard on music TV shows such as Austin City Limits, Bravo Up Close and Personal, and Lonesome Pines Special, performing with artists like Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Angela Strehli, Albert Collins, Colin James, and Delbert McClinton. Kaz has performed often at major international music festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage, North Sea Jazz, and Monterey Jazz Festivals, Chicago Blues Festival, Ottawa Blues Festival, and San Francisco Blues Festival.