Myanna

about

In the 1970s and 1980s, it was very unusual for a woman to play saxophone. Then Myanna came along and made headlines with her strong, gutsy horn-work and kickin' compositions! Now, almost three decades later Myanna is still making news with the release of her latest CD. Titled, One Never Knows, Do One? this disc is a solid jazz release . . . sure to garner critical attention. Illinois Jacquet, Sonny Rollins, Jimi Hendrix, and B.B, King were saxophonist Myanna Pontoppidan’s core musical influences, beginning in her late teen years. Myanna grew up in Weston, Massachusetts and after graduation went on to Berklee College of Music in Boston where she studied with master saxophone teacher Joe Viola. Her career soared early on; she sat in with Grover Washington, Jr., performed with Gray Sargent, Martha Reeves, Ronnie Specter, and the Platters, among others. After a stint at University of Massachusetts in Amherst (where she studied with bebop drum legend Max Roach), Myanna sprinted off with the respected R&B Northampton-based band, “Lilith.” Myanna left that group in the late ‘70s and joined the Bill Bellamy Project - an original jazz/R&B band. In 1984, she, saxophonist Cercie Miller and singer Didi Stewart put Girls' Night Out together as a lark - playing ‘60s girl group songs. The band ended up staying together due to high demand - and added more and more originals, until it morphed into an original rock band that also played some oldies. Chris Hamel of the Springfield Morning U