Saxophonist Andy Sheppard; Pushing Sonic Boundaries, Ep. 247

In Episode 247 of the Everything Saxophone Podcast, Donna Schwartz sits down with internationally renowned saxophonist, composer, and ECM recording artist Andy Sheppard. Here's a guided timestamp to check out the highlights of the episode — perfect if you want to jump straight to the parts that resonate most with you. 00:00 - Leaving art school and started learning saxophone at 19 04:09 - When Andy realized his true passion 05:11 - Needing to be ready for a lesson 16:36 - People he met along the way that helped his playing 21:12 - Taking a helicopter view on life to make important life decisions 27:48 - How Andy got the gig playing with Carla Bley 30:02 - Learning the guitar 31:17 - Top tip for airline travel with your saxophone 33:58 - How 'Autograph Sax' started 40:42 - Me or the horn? 44:29 - What his practice routine looks like 47:24 - The beautiful thing about playing the saxophone 51:38 - Where he got his classical technique 55:24 - Recording his own music 59:43 - Being hired to play for George Russell 01:04:25 - George Russell & Living Time Orchestra - The African Game 1989 01:13:43 - Why creating music and enjoying the process is much more important to him 01:17:07 - How he survived during the pandemic Explore more about Andy Sheppard—his music, background, and socials—all in one place: https://saxophonepodcast.com/   Become a Patron Today! Love what we do? Get even closer to the music by joining us on Patreon! As a Patron, you'll unlock exclusive perks like: ✅ A complete, always-updated listing of all our episodes 🎬 Bonus videos with behind-the-scenes insights 📝 Searchable transcripts for every episode ⏰ Early access to new releases—hear them before the public does! Your support helps keep the podcast alive and thriving—and allows us to continue bringing you top-notch saxophone content. 💡 Join our community for as little as $2/month and be part of something bigger. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/everythingsaxophone