He strides on stage with the energy of a rock star and brings his saxophone to his lips. Suddenly you feel an incredible force pulling you towards him and the stage.


Such is the seemingly magnetic ability of award winning saxophonist Shenole Latimer to draw in his audience with his glowing stage persona and impassioned playing. The sheer joy that exudes from him as he interacts with his band members and the audience, along with the colorful soundscape he creates that captivates his listeners, points to an intriguing narrative of the musical path that this Long Island native has traveled.Shenole Latimer started playing music at the age of 4, when his aunt, who was living with him at the time, bought him his own organ after seeing his persistence in trying to play hers whenever she was trying to get her practice time in.  Much to his family's surprise, he was playing all of the songs from the songbook that accompanied the organ within just a couple of weeks.  This was, by the way, without the benefit of having a single lesson.


By the fourth grade, Shenole began playing the alto saxophone in his elementary school band.  Though his family was "economically challenged", as Shenole fondly puts it, and could not afford to give him private lessons, he quickly surpassed the older and more experienced players to become the section leader.  This is when he had his first experiences with performing jazz.  The band director, having noticed Shenole's strong musical ear and natural improvisational ability, "suggested" (perhaps the proper word is "insisted") that he join the jazz ensemble.


Latimer participated in jazz ensembles throughout the rest of his public school experience and became famous in his school district and beyond for his big grin, loud foot stomping during rehearsals and school concerts, and for his sax playing.  In recognition of his hard work and talent, he was bestowed the Louis Armstrong Award for Jazz Improvisation, which was passed on to only the top young jazz performers across the country.


Shenole went on to attend the State University of New York at Stony Brook with the intent on becoming a Marine Biologist.  However, fate had other intensions for Shenole. A chance encounter with the esteemed jazz bassist Todd Coolman, who was the university's Director of Jazz Studies at the time, would result in Latimer swapping his lab coat for a sax neck strap and becoming a member of the Stony Brook University Jazz Big Band.

His fondness for jazz rekindled, Shenole worked hard under the tutelage of Coolman and would ultimately become not only the lead alto saxophonist for the big band, but also the face and ambassador of Stony Brook University's jazz program.

Over 500,000 homes in the state of New York were the recipients of the university's 1998-1999 music brochure, which had Latimer's image gracing the front cover. 

Additionally, Latimer was often called on by Todd Coolman to represent the university by performing in an array of special functions, concerts, and by even giving educational lectures and clinics to middle school and high school students within the surrounding school districts.

It was during this time that Shenole Latimer decided to pursue music professionally and within just one year of his entering the scene, he had gained an endorsement from the woodwind instrument accessory giant known as Vandoren and had handily won the 1999 Best Horn Player Award, which was a prestigious reader's poll from the now defunct Long Island Voice.  These initial accomplishments helped to fuel Latimer's ambition of becoming a respected headliner on the big stage.

In 2004 Shenole's ambition would become a reality when a member of the board for the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, a prestigious Long Island concert hall, caught wind that Shenole was drawing large numbers of people to his local performances. 

The board member decided to pay Latimer a surprise visit during one of his performances, only to be surprised himself when he found out, upon arriving early, that he would have to wait to get inside because the venue was already filled to capacity.  And, there was a long line of people who were waiting to get in for Latimer's second set. 

The result of their impromptu meeting was Shenole Latimer's September 9th, 2004 performance on the main stage of the 1,164 seat Patchogue Theatre.
 

Though not a sell out, Shenole's concert far exceeded his critics' expectations for ticket sales, and even ended up outselling a Chuck Mangione concert that took place at the Patchogue Theatre 2 weeks later.

Using the lessons that he learned from his first headlining performance,  Shenole formed his artist management and booking company Rici Music, Inc. and by 2006 he had self produced several very successful concerts for his quartet in small to medium sized concert halls that he rented using both his own money and the money of corporate sponsors like Coldwell Banker and Washington Mutual. He was also starting to become recognized by his peers as one of the dominant and exciting new voices in the jazz scene.  However, something was missing... 

...Shenole had never recorded his own album, even thought he had recorded albums as a sideman for other artists.  He decided to dive head first into the creation of his debut recording as a bandleader. 

Just one week after finishing his album project, Shenole unknowingly found himself seated next to an executive for an independent record label during, what turned out to be, a fateful train ride.  The executive could hear Latimer's music seeping through the headphones he was wearing and was inspired to sign him to the Dortmund, Germany based label known as Tierra Records. 

Shenole Latimer's 2006 debut CD, appropriately entitled "Front and Center", continues to enjoy impressive sales both domestically and internationally.

Shenole Latimer now performs in venues through out the central region and east coast of the United States.  He continues to be a highly sought after lecturer and clinician, and enjoys several sideman projects from artists who thrive in the blues, neo-soul, rhythm and blues, adult contemporary rock, and pop music scenes. 

But, perhaps his most exciting side project is the assignment he received in 2009 from Steve Fulgoni, the man who saved the John Coltrane home in Dix Hills, New York from being razed.  Fulgoni has recruited Shenole Latimer to become the creator and director of a new program dubbed the John Coltrane Legacy Youth Ensemble for specially gifted jazz students.  This program will be directly tied to the foundation that has been formed to turn the John Coltrane home into a museum.

Because of Shenole's almost insatiable desire to excel, and his relative youth, its clear that his greatest achievements are still ahead of him. Moreover, Shenole Latimer's charisma, uncanny ability to connect with his audiences, and firery performances serve as the intoxicant that will continue to compel jazz aficionados and music lovers alike to follow his career for years to come.

 

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