Bill Kirchner

Bill Kirchner (born August 31, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, jazz educator, band leader, record and radio producer, composer, jazz historian, and writer.

Over the years, he has played with numerous famed musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Lewis, Anita O'Day, Marc Copland, and Patti Austin.

He mostly plays soprano saxophone, but also tenor and alto.

Bill Kirchner was born William Joseph Kirchner in Youngstown, Ohio, on August 31, 1953.

Kirchner got an early start in music. He started playing clarinet at the age of 7 and by age 12, he was already playing saxophone. At the age of 14, he played flute in his high school band.

He attended Manhattan College in New York City, graduating with a bachelor's degree in literature in 1975. During those years, he studied privately with alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and pianist Harold Danko. Later, he studied with trombonist/arranger Rayburn Wright at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, with an NEA scholarship.

After completing his education, Kirchner lived in Washington, D.C., until 1980, and played with the Mike Crotty big band, the Bernard Sweetney quartet, and his own groups.

From the late 1970s, he also wrote music reviews and articles for DownBeat magazine, the Washington Post, and Jazz Times. In 1979, he was assistant curator of the NEA Jazz Oral History Program at the Smithsonian Institution, New York, where he edited about 30 of the interview transcripts and also interviewed drummer Cozy Cole, arranger Eddie Sauter, bandleader Eddie Sauter, and saxophonist/clarinetist Clarence Hutchenrider. Later, in his career, in 1995, he also interviewed Johnny Mandel.

In July 1980, Kirchner moved back to New York City, where he founded the "Bill Kirchner Nonet". In 1982, he recorded his debut album What is to be Frank (released in 1983 on Sea Breeze Records). He played soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, and piccolo flute, accompanied by Andy McKee, Steve Alcott (acoustic bass); Glenn Wilson (baritone saxophone, flute); Douglas Purviance (bass trombone); Charles Braugham (drums); Ralph Lalama (flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone); Greg Kogan (piano); and Brian Lynch (trumpet, flugelhorn). The following year, he recorded Infant Eyes.

In 2014, he released the album Lifeline with Dick Oatts, Kenny Berger, Ralph Lalama Bud Burridge, Andy Gravish, Douglas Purviance, Carlton Holmes, Chip Jackson, and Ron Vincent. It was recorded in November 2001 at The New School Jazz Performance Space, New York City. His next release was An Evening Of Indigosin 2015 (JazzHeads Records) with pianist Carlton Holmes, bassist Jim Ferguson, and singer Holli Ross.

His group has also performed at music festivals, concerts, and nightclubs throughout the United States.

As a sideman, he was engaged in live performances or recordings with numerous musicians, including Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra; the American Jazz Orchestra; singers Jackie Cain, Karen Akers, Anita O'Day, Chris Connor, and Anita Gravine; violinist Joe Kennedy, Jr.; pianists Mike Abene, and Marc Copland, bassist Reggie Johnson; and bandleaders Mousey Alexander, Ray Anthony, Mario Bauza, Larry Elgart, Bobby Rosengarden, Tom Pierson, and Tito Puente.

In September 1987, Kirchner's Nonet played with singer Sheila Jordan at the Chicago Jazz Festival.

In 1990, he was the arranger for Dizzy Gillespie's recording of Live at the Royal Festival Hall at Royal Festival Hall, London, England, alongside Claudio Roditi, and Arturo Sandoval (trumpet); Slide Hampton, and Steve Turre (trombone); Mario Rivera, James Moody, and Paquito D'Rivera (saxophone); John Lee (bass guitar); Ed Cherry (guitar); Danilo Pérez (piano); Flora Purim (vocals); Ignacio Berroa, and Airto Moreira (percussion, drums); and Giovanni Hidalgo (percussion, congas). He has also arranged for Bob Wilber and Lee Konitz.

His arrangements have also been recorded by the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble, and singer Patti Austin.

For National Public Radio, Kirchner has produced and written one-hour Jazz Profiles of Benny Carter, Artie Shaw, Johnny Mandel, and Bob Brookmeyer.

Music educator

Kirchner is a lecturer in jazz theory and jazz history at the New School University in New York City and also teaches at the Manhattan College of Music.

In 1996, Kirchner received a Grammy for the liner notes for the album Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (Columbia Records).