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Biography
Donny McCaslin (born August 11, 1966) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has recorded over a dozen albums as a bandleader in addition to many sideman appearances, and came to wider prominence when English rock singer David Bowie hired McCaslin's ensemble as his backing band for Blackstar (2016), his final studio album.
McCaslin is originally from Santa Cruz California where, as a toddler, he first listened to jazz by attending his father's vibraphone/piano gigs. At 12, Donny picked up the tenor sax, and became proficient quickly. By 15, he was gigging around town, both as a sideman and as a leader of his own bands. Before he graduated high school, Donny toured Europe with the Monterey Jazz Festival's California All-Star Big Band, and studied at Cabrillo College with arranging great Ray Brown.
