♫ Mikayla Gilbreath ► Jazz Saxophonist & Jazz Journalist

Find more photos like this on THE JAZZ NETWORK

---

BIOGRAPHICAL INFO:

 

 

Mikayla Gilbreath is the fifteen-year-old Lead Alto Saxophonist for nationally-recognized Deer Valley Performance Jazz Ensemble. She also plays clarinet, flute, and soprano sax for the band. DV Performance Jazz Ensemble is widely considered to be one of the best high school jazz bands in America, so she is genuinely proud to perform with this group of talented young musicians.

 

 

Mikayla's younger sister Briana Gilbreath (who can be seen in some of the photos and videos on this page) also plays saxophone. She considers herself to be primarily an alto player but currently plays Lead Tenor in her middle school jazz band. Briana also plays soprano sax and is already being considered for a spot in the DV Performance Jazz Ensemble. Mikayla fully expects to play on-stage alongside Briana (for the first time ever) as part of the DV Performance Jazz Ensemble during the 2009-2010 season.

  

  

  

Mikayla first played a saxophone in September, 2005, at age 12. Gilbreath's passion for jazz grew from her exposure to the music of Sonny Rollins. On November 19, 2006, she had the great honor of meeting Mr. Rollins and playing her music for him. She admits that having Sonny listen to her play was one of the most terrifying moments of her life! By merely showing an interest in Gilbreath and her music, this legendary jazz musician has created many opportunities for Mikayla and has instilled in her a genuine desire for personal achievement.

 

  

Since March 2007, Mikayla has been featured on SonnyRollins.com as part of "Meeting Sonny - The Sonny Rollins Podcast - Episode 3." That podcast is also included in her videos below. In April 2007, Mikayla appeared on National Public Radio where she participated in Jazz Journalists Association President Howard Mandel's interview with Sonny entitled "Saxophonist Sonny Rollins Still Swinging Strong." Gilbreath is particularly proud to note that Mr. Rollins is referred to as her “mentor” in that piece. And in the September 2007 issue of JazzTimes Magazine, Mikayla was featured in Nat Hentoff's article entitled "Bridging Generations," a piece which also deals with Sonny Rollins.

---

[ To see the podcast, click on Sonny's website image above, then locate and click on the thumbnail image labeled "Meeting Sonny" on Sonny's Video Player. ]

---

"Sonny Rollins - The Wit & Wisdom of a Master"

---

On September 18th, 2007, Mikayla and her sister Briana hosted a pre-concert reception in Carnegie Hall's Shorin Club Room, just prior to Sonny Rollins' 50th Anniversary Carnegie Hall concert. Their youngest sister, Sierra, also attended.

Pictured above attending the event are (left-to-right) Sierra Gilbreath, David Liebman, Briana Gilbreath, Jimmy Heath, Joe Lovano, Mikayla Gilbreath, Paquito D'Rivera, and Lou Donaldson. Other guests who also attended the reception included Dr. Lonnie Smith, Marion Meadows, Brenda Feliciano, and Jazz Journalists Association President Howard Mandel. Afterward, their guests joined the Gilbreath girls for the concert. And, at the conclusion of Sonny's remarkable performance, the group went backstage where they congratulated Sonny and visited with a number of other jazz artists including Roy Haynes, Christian McBride, Bob Cranshaw, Yusef Lateef, and Billy Taylor. It was a spectacular evening that the Gilbreath family will never forget.

 

Saxophonist Candy Dulfer has also played a crucial role in introducing Mikayla to jazz. Early on, Dulfer's music caught Gilbreath's attention and now Candy's influence is reflected in Mikayla's own playing style. But it is Dulfer's demonstrated success in a field dominated primarily by male performers that perhaps inspires Mikayla most, as she strives to reach her own goals. Candy's friendship and encouragement have given Mikayla the confidence to continue reaching higher.

  

  

  

In addition to playing jazz, Gilbreath is also very interested in writing about it. After high school, Mikayla plans to attend the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. In February 2007, Gilbreath had the distinct honor of meeting Mr. Cronkite, who is perhaps the most respected journalist of all time.

 

  

  

 

Howard Mandel, President of the Jazz Journalists Association, has been an unwavering source of encouragement to Gilbreath as a young writer. Without Mandel's assistance, becoming a journalist would still be merely a dream for Mikayla. Gilbreath is currently the youngest member of the Jazz Journalists Association - and she hopes that she is fortunate enough to one day become the oldest!

 

Gilbreath is also the youngest contributor to AllAboutJazz.com, where she writes a column entitled “Mikayla's Totally Jazzed." All About Jazz has been named "Best Website on Jazz" by the Jazz Journalists Association, every year since 2002. Mikayla is very grateful to AAJ Publisher Michael Ricci and AAJ Managing Editor John Kelman for allowing her to be a part of the All About Jazz team."

---

MIKAYLA'S EQUIPMENT:

	► 1962 Selmer-Paris Mark VI alto saxophone ► Yamaha YTS-875 EXS Custom tenor saxophone ► Cannonball SC5-HS curved soprano saxophone ► Yamaha YCL-650 clarinet.

---

PRESS QUOTES:

♦ "'On sonnyrollins.com,' [Jazz Journalists Association President, Howard] Mandel continues, 'You can see Mikayla Gilbreath, a 13-year-old saxophonist from Tempe, Arizona.' On one of the podcasts, Gilbreath, who first heard Sonny’s music in her grade school... is seen meeting Sonny backstage. ...And she tells how she became committed to the jazz life. ...'I heard Sonny Rollins, and I just loved it. I loved the way it sounded and I just -- I wanted to play jazz instead of just music.' ...Mandel asked her if there was anything odd about having been 'drawn to the music of someone whose background is so different from hers.' ...Wisely, the 13-year-old answered, 'You know, I really don’t think it matters. It’s the music that kind of brought us together. It wasn’t the fact that I was white and he was black, or that he was old and I was young. It was just--it was the music that we both loved.'" Nat Hentoff, JazzTimes Magazine, "Bridging Generations," September, 2007.

♦ "It is remarkable to learn that such a young girl, only 14 years old, who plays the alto saxophone for only two years now, reached such a high level in playing. Only few kids from that age can refer to the great master in jazz, Sonny Rollins, who has said about hearing Mikayla playing... 'Bravo, very nice! She's got talent.'" Hans Koert, Keep Swinging Jazz Blog, The Netherlands, November 12, 2007. The article went on to label Gilbreath as the "young US 'Candy Dulfer.'" The article is available in both Dutch and English.

♦ "Given such an open and welcoming environment, it's no surprise that The Jazz Nework has attracted such familiar names as David Benoit, Alex Bugnon, Onaje Allan Gumbs and Lenny White to its member roster, and earned accolades from the likes of fellow members Bill Cobham, Will Downing, Alphonse Mouzon and Buster Williams.

"Yet it's not only established artists who hang out together over this electronic backyard fence. There are plenty of tomorrow's aspiring stars as well, such as 15-year-old Mikayla Gilbreath. 'I heard Sonny Rollins,' she says, explaining her passion, 'and I just loved it. I loved the way it sounded, and I wanted to play jazz instead of just music.' Has anyone of any age ever put it better? Jazz instead of just music." Alan Kurtz, Jazz.com, June 29, 2008.

---

VIDEOS:

Below you will find some of Mikayla's earliest videos, including a video of her first spontaneous improvisation (with her middle school band). There is also a Sonny Rollins video which features Mikayla. You can see more of Mikayla's videos on her YouTube channel.

---

♫ Tribute to Sonny Rollins by Mikayla (13) ► "Blue Room" (Nov. 2006)

(This was recorded two days before Mikayla met Sonny Rollins. Mikayla had been playing sax for 13 months.)

You can also see Sonny Rollins watching the above video.

---

♫ Meeting Sonny - The Sonny Rollins Podcast - (Released March 2007)

(This podcast was created by Sonny Rollins' record company, Doxy Records. It documents Mikayla's first meeting with Mr. Rollins and also incorporates an interview about that meeting. The podcast can also be viewed on sonnyrollins.com.)

---

♫ Mikayla (14) ► First Spontaneous Improvisation (8th grade) - May 2007.

(Mikayla had been playing sax for 20 months when this was recorded.)

---