Sax on the Web

Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Baritone Saxophone / Nick Brignola passed away

Steve Goodson
User ID: 9760743 Feb 9th 7:01 PM
One of the nicest guys I ever met, and definately the best bari player I ever heard. I was lucky enough to get a couple of lessons from him.

> Troy-born jazzman Nick Brignola dies Master of the baritone saxophone was
sideman, bandleader for 40
> years
>
> By STEVE BARNES, Arts editor
> First published: Saturday, February 9, 2002
>
> Nick Brignola, an internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist and
Rensselaer County resident, died
> Friday at Albany Medical Center Hospital after a yearlong illness. He was
65. The Troy native was one
> of the world's most accomplished players of the baritone sax, an
instrument he picked up at age 20
> after being loaned a baritone while his alto was being fixed. Though he
was largely self-taught and
> employed an unorthodox playing style and fingering techniques, Brignola
received the first scholarship
> ever given to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Over the 4 decades
of his career, he played as a
> sideman and bandleader with most of the best-known jazz luminaries. A
repeated winner of Jazz Times and
> Down Beat magazines' critics and readers polls, Brignola also earned a
Grammy nomination for his 1979
> album "L.A. Bound.''After living in the late 1950s and early 1960s in New
York City and on the West
> Coast, where he played with Woody Herman's orchestra, among others,
Brigno! la moved back to Troy in
> 1964.Unlike some of the jazz greats with whom he performed -- Chick Corea,
Doc Severinsen, Chet Baker,
> Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk -- Brignola never became a
household name. But fellow
> musicians describe him as universally liked and respected by the jazz
world, and he enjoyed a busy
> career as a much-sought-after soloist. As his reputation as the
pre-eminent baritone saxophonist
> solidified over the past dozen years, Brignola would fly off for U.S.
college clinics, international
> jazz festivals, a weekend in Europe or a week in Asia, and return to his
home in Eagle Mills in time
> for his monthly gig at Justin's restaurant in Albany."We were very
fortunate to have a musician of his
> ability, his talents and creativity living right here,'' Dave Calarco of
Schodack, Brignola's drummer
> for the past 27 years, said Friday."There are maybe a handful of people on
the planet who could do what
> Nick could as a player,'' said Calarco.Schooled in and! inspired by bebop,
Brignola was known for fiery
> playing and explosive solos that matched his intense personality. A fellow
bari-sax player once said
> admiringly of him, "Nick doesn't just blow into his horn -- he screams
into it.'' His horn, a
> physically imposing, gleaming brass beast, could produce an awe-inspiring
noise as Brignola explored --
> and pushed -- the traditionally accepted limits of the instrument. A
typical Brignola solo was melodic,
> fast, driving, full of ideas; he could fit more notes than seemed possible
in very small
> spaces.But Brignola also had an extraordinary way with gentler, moodier
music."He played beautiful,
> beautiful ballads,'' said jazz pianist Lee Shaw, who met Brignola when she
moved the Capital Region in
> 1971 and played with him many times over the years. "Nick could squeeze
all the sentiment out of a
> ballad.''Over the course of more than 21 albums as a bandleader and scores
more as a sideman -- he was
> an accomplished player of most members of t! he woodwind family --
Brignola recorded many jazz
> standards. In recent years, his albums featured more and more of his own
compositions."He was a very,
> very good composer,'' Shaw said. "His 'Flight of the Eagle' '' -- the
title track of a 1996 album --
> "is one of the most beautiful (songs) I've ever heard.''Brignola was also
cherished for his sense of
> humor. Jazz trombonist Doug Sertl, a Clifton Park native whose big band
featured Brignola, recalls a
> bus trip the band took across the Midwest in the late 1980s during which
the haggard players stopped at
> a small-town diner."We were looking pretty ratty,'' Sertl said. "The guy
behind the counter ... asks
> us, 'Are you fellas a professional baseball team?' and Nick, who looks the
furthest thing from a
> baseball player, doesn't miss a beat. He says, 'As a matter of fact we
are.' I think we kept that ruse
> up for an hour and a half. ... They
> probably still have our picture hanging on the wall.''Sertl, like Calarco,
described Brignola! as both
> friend and mentor. The trombonist, who now lives in New Paltz, was 19 when
he met Brignola; they played
> together often and recorded a half-dozen albums together over the next 24
years."I got a real,
> irreplaceable education from him without
> ever taking a lesson, by watching him, playing with him,'' Sertl said. "He
was tough -- the first 10
> years playing with him was terrifying -- but he really helped me develop
as a player.''In addition to
> the practical lessons Brignola passed on to younger players onstage and in
rehearsals, he taught
> formally in the Capital Region, including at the University at Albany,
Rensselaer Polytechnic
> Institute, the College of Saint Rose and Union College.Brignola is
survived by his wife, Yvonne; three
> children, Jillian Haggerty, Kristin Walker and Nicholas Brignola; and one
granddaughter. Funeral
> arrangements were incomplete Friday evening but will include a wake and
service in the
> first part of next week, Calarco said.

saxilla
User ID: 2958184 Feb 9th 8:05 PM
He was a master. How much he will be missed will never be measured! Great epitaph, Steve.

John T.
User ID: 8987493 Feb 9th 8:51 PM
A very sad day indeed.

I heard that funeral services will be held this Monday night in Albany, NY.

keilmer
User ID: 9732463 Feb 15th 2:44 PM
I just started with baritone.
He was one of the first I heard.
A very bad message !

George Briscoe
User ID: 1076954 Mar 23rd 5:06 AM
This is the first that I've heard of this. Thanks for posting it, Steve. I know that you liked the guy. I never had the pleasure of hearing him in person or meeting him, but he did influence me. Rest In Peace, Nick.

George Briscoe

Steve Goodson User ID: 9760743	Feb 9th 7:01 PM One of the nicest guys I ever met, and definately the best bari player I ever heard. I was lucky enough to get a couple of lessons from him. > Troy-born jazzman Nick Brignola dies Master of the baritone saxophone was sideman, bandleader for 40 > years > > By STEVE BARNES, Arts editor > First published: Saturday, February 9, 2002 > > Nick Brignola, an internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist and Rensselaer County resident, died > Friday at Albany Medical Center Hospital after a yearlong illness. He was 65. The Troy native was one > of the world's most accomplished players of the baritone sax, an instrument he picked up at age 20 > after being loaned a baritone while his alto was being fixed. Though he was largely self-taught and > employed an unorthodox playing style and fingering techniques, Brignola received the first scholarship > ever given to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Over the 4 decades of his career, he played as a > sideman and bandleader with most of the best-known jazz luminaries. A repeated winner of Jazz Times and > Down Beat magazines' critics and readers polls, Brignola also earned a Grammy nomination for his 1979 > album "L.A. Bound.''After living in the late 1950s and early 1960s in New York City and on the West > Coast, where he played with Woody Herman's orchestra, among others, Brigno! la moved back to Troy in > 1964.Unlike some of the jazz greats with whom he performed -- Chick Corea, Doc Severinsen, Chet Baker, > Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk -- Brignola never became a household name. But fellow > musicians describe him as universally liked and respected by the jazz world, and he enjoyed a busy > career as a much-sought-after soloist. As his reputation as the pre-eminent baritone saxophonist > solidified over the past dozen years, Brignola would fly off for U.S. college clinics, international > jazz festivals, a weekend in Europe or a week in Asia, and return to his home in Eagle Mills in time > for his monthly gig at Justin's restaurant in Albany."We were very fortunate to have a musician of his > ability, his talents and creativity living right here,'' Dave Calarco of Schodack, Brignola's drummer > for the past 27 years, said Friday."There are maybe a handful of people on the planet who could do what > Nick could as a player,'' said Calarco.Schooled in and! inspired by bebop, Brignola was known for fiery > playing and explosive solos that matched his intense personality. A fellow bari-sax player once said > admiringly of him, "Nick doesn't just blow into his horn -- he screams into it.'' His horn, a > physically imposing, gleaming brass beast, could produce an awe-inspiring noise as Brignola explored -- > and pushed -- the traditionally accepted limits of the instrument. A typical Brignola solo was melodic, > fast, driving, full of ideas; he could fit more notes than seemed possible in very small > spaces.But Brignola also had an extraordinary way with gentler, moodier music."He played beautiful, > beautiful ballads,'' said jazz pianist Lee Shaw, who met Brignola when she moved the Capital Region in > 1971 and played with him many times over the years. "Nick could squeeze all the sentiment out of a > ballad.''Over the course of more than 21 albums as a bandleader and scores more as a sideman -- he was > an accomplished player of most members of t! he woodwind family -- Brignola recorded many jazz > standards. In recent years, his albums featured more and more of his own compositions."He was a very, > very good composer,'' Shaw said. "His 'Flight of the Eagle' '' -- the title track of a 1996 album -- > "is one of the most beautiful (songs) I've ever heard.''Brignola was also cherished for his sense of > humor. Jazz trombonist Doug Sertl, a Clifton Park native whose big band featured Brignola, recalls a > bus trip the band took across the Midwest in the late 1980s during which the haggard players stopped at > a small-town diner."We were looking pretty ratty,'' Sertl said. "The guy behind the counter ... asks > us, 'Are you fellas a professional baseball team?' and Nick, who looks the furthest thing from a > baseball player, doesn't miss a beat. He says, 'As a matter of fact we are.' I think we kept that ruse > up for an hour and a half. ... They > probably still have our picture hanging on the wall.''Sertl, like Calarco, described Brignola! as both > friend and mentor. The trombonist, who now lives in New Paltz, was 19 when he met Brignola; they played > together often and recorded a half-dozen albums together over the next 24 years."I got a real, > irreplaceable education from him without > ever taking a lesson, by watching him, playing with him,'' Sertl said. "He was tough -- the first 10 > years playing with him was terrifying -- but he really helped me develop as a player.''In addition to > the practical lessons Brignola passed on to younger players onstage and in rehearsals, he taught > formally in the Capital Region, including at the University at Albany, Rensselaer Polytechnic > Institute, the College of Saint Rose and Union College.Brignola is survived by his wife, Yvonne; three > children, Jillian Haggerty, Kristin Walker and Nicholas Brignola; and one granddaughter. Funeral > arrangements were incomplete Friday evening but will include a wake and service in the > first part of next week, Calarco said.
saxilla User ID: 2958184	Feb 9th 8:05 PM He was a master. How much he will be missed will never be measured! Great epitaph, Steve.
John T. User ID: 8987493	Feb 9th 8:51 PM A very sad day indeed. I heard that funeral services will be held this Monday night in Albany, NY.
keilmer User ID: 9732463	Feb 15th 2:44 PM I just started with baritone. He was one of the first I heard. A very bad message !
George Briscoe User ID: 1076954	Mar 23rd 5:06 AM This is the first that I've heard of this. Thanks for posting it, Steve. I know that you liked the guy. I never had the pleasure of hearing him in person or meeting him, but he did influence me. Rest In Peace, Nick. George Briscoe