No other performer on the scene today brings to life and pushes forward the great tradition of American R&B Sax like Sax Gordon. From an early start in garage bands, church groups, jazz combos and big bands in northern California, Gordon graduated to work and record with Bay-Area Blues Giant Johnny Heartsman. After relocating to the east coast, five years of touring and recording with Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson established Gordon on the international scene. With Luther's encouragement Gordon continued to develop his signature style, hard-blowing, exciting, gutsy sax steeped in the traditions of Blues and Soul. While becoming known for his ability to excite live audiences, Gordon's ability to conjure up the style and feeling of past R&B sax masters led to being featured as soloist on albums by such American music legends as Champion Jack Dupree, Jimmy McGriff, Charles Brown, Pinetop Perkins, Billy Boy Arnold, and Rosco Gordon.
Gordon then recorded and toured extensively with Matt "Guitar" Murphy as well as with the Duke Robillard Band with whom he also backed Blues and Swing greats Jimmy Witherspoon and Jay McShann on tours and recordings. International tours with Roomful of Blues, John Hammond, Junior Watson, Sherman Robertson, and Soul legend Solomon Burke followed, and all the while Gordon was being called upon to play with a who's who of American roots music greats, including Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Little Milton, Ben E. King, Hubert Sumlin, Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave), Johnny Johnson, Howard Tate, Martha Reeves, and Johnny Copeland among others. Modern masters have also benefited from Gordon's unique sound, as heard on recordings by Kim Wilson, Bryan Lee, Paul Oscher, Jerry Portnoy, Watermelon Slim, Ron Levy, and David Maxwell.
After releasing his first CD "Have Horn Will Travel" (Rounder/Bullseye) Gordon began leading his own bands and appearing as a special guest, working extensively in Europe and featured at festivals in Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Russia, Denmark, and Scandinavia. Two more CDs followed - "You Knock Me Out" (Rounder/Bullseye) and "Live at the Sax Blast" (Rounder Europe/Me & My Blues) further establishing Gordon as a bandleader on the international circuit. Along the way Gordon won the Trophees France Blues (Instruments Divers) in 1998 and 2005, and received W.C. Handy Blues Award nominations in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005.
Currently Gordon leads his own groups "The Sax Gordon Band" (including a horn section) - playing rockin R&B, Blues and Soul, and also "Sax Gordon & the Little Town Rockers" - playing Jump Blues, Jazz & Swing. Gordon also appears as a special guest with groups all over the globe, conducts clinics at schools and festivals, and continues to work as a sideman, backing both established performers and some of the best up-and-coming artists on the scene.
