【SUN 周日 01.7】SUNDAY JAZZ: ALEX CUMMINGS QUARTET 周日爵士之夜：阿厉斯爵士四重奏

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ALEX CUMMINGS 

Alex Cummings is a New York based singer and saxophonist returning to play with some of his best friends immersed in the Beijing music scene. His quintet will play  well known American jazz standards along with original music that puts a twist on jazz, pop and rock music all in one which features some of the music from his upcoming debut album set to be released in February 2018.

Born in Camden, New Jersey, Alex Cummings is a singer and multi-instrumentalist specializing in saxophone, flute and clarinet. 

Since the age of 9, Alex has always used music for entertaining and serving his community. Composing and performing for his high school jazz ensembles have earned him awards such as outstanding soloist awards at the N.J.I.A.J.E. State Finals Jazz Festivals, Berklee College High School Jazz Festival Judge's Choice Soloist award in 2009, and the Maestro Award at the Washington D.C. Inaugural Music Festival for President Barack Obama in 2009. 

By the time Cummings had graduated Oberlin in 2013 he had studied with musical legends such as Wendall Logan Gary Bartz, Billy Hart, Jamey Haddad, Robin Eubanks, Dan Wall and Paul Samuels. Alex has also collaborated with his Oberlin colleagues touring with bands in China and various cites in the United States. In 2015, Alex completed graduate school under the mentorship of Antonio Hart at Aaron Copeland School of Music with a masters degree in music performance. 

As a composer, Cummings has made contributions writing for numerous big bands on an international scope. Aside from writing for his award winning high school big band in Camden, Cummings composes and arranges music for leading large ensembles such as the Beijing Blue Note Big Band, Robin Eubanks Big Band, Oberlin Jazz Ensemble and Queens College Big Band. Cummings has studied privately with arranging and composing pioneers such as Wendall Logan, Jay Ashby and Michael Mossman.

Currently, Cummings tours with Robin Eubanks big band, earthTone and his own band, Twilyte Axis. Cummings has also shared the stage with musical legends such as Stevie Wonder, Billy Hart, Mary J Blige, Jimmy Heath, and Lew Soloff, among others.

As a producer, Cummings has released his first single for his band, Twilyte Axis. The single "VHS" is produced and mixed by Cummings and Arnold Lee and mastered by Tom Coyne of Sterling Sounds in New York City. Currently he is preparing for his debut album set to be released in May 2018.