Soprano saxophonist/composer Jane Ira Bloom has been steadfastly developing her unique voice on the soprano saxophone for over 25 years. A pioneer in the use of live electronics and movement in jazz, as well as the possessor of "one of the most gorgeous tones and hauntingly lyrical ballad conceptions of any soprano saxophonist - Pulse," Bloom has continued to expand her musical universe since the release of her last CD Like Silver, Like Song.

Her continuing commitment to "pushing the envelope" in her music has led to collaborations with such outstanding jazz artists as Kenny Wheeler, Charlie Haden, Rufus Reid, Matt Wilson, Bob Brookmeyer, Julian Priester, Jerry Granelli, Jay Clayton, Mark Dresser, Bobby Previte, & Fred Hersch. She’s also spearheaded a new collaborative world music group, "Atlantic/ Pacific Waves" featuring world music virtuosi Min Xioa-Fen on Chinese pipa, Jin Hi Kim on Korean komungo, and Mark Dresser on bass.

The last year saw her performing at such diverse venues as the Museum of Modern Art, the Kennedy Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Smithsonian’s Einstein Planetarium, and the Montreal, JVC, & San Francisco Jazz Festivals, as well as regular engagements at Sweet Rythym, The Jazz Standard, Tonic and tours of England, Portugal, Switzerland, France and Brazil with her current quartet.

Winner of the 2001 & 2003 Jazz Journalists Award for soprano sax of the year, the Downbeat International Critics Poll for soprano saxophone, the Charlie Parker Fellowship for Jazz Innovation and the International Women in Jazz Jazz Masters Award, she is the first musician ever commissioned by the NASA Art Program, and was also honored by having an asteroid named in her honor by the International Astronomical Union (asteroid 6083).

A strong visual thinker and a cinematic stylist, Bloom's affinity for other art forms such as painting, film, theatre and dance has both enriched her music and brought her into contact with other innovative artists such as actors Vanessa Redgrave & Joanne Woodward, painter Dan Namingha, and legendary choreographer Carmen DeLavellade. She has composed for the American Composers Orchestra (NYC), the Pilobolus Dance Company, TV movie features (Shadow of A Doubt/ NBC-TV), and feature film soundscores (John Sayles' Silver City) and has also collaborated with classical composers premiering new works for soprano saxophone.

Bloom was recently awarded an artists fellowship for jazz composition by the Chamber Music America / Doris Duke Jazz Project for work on Chasing Paint, a series of compositions for her quartet inspired by painter Jackson Pollock. The Philadelphia Music Project commissioned her recent premiere of Unexpected Light - a unique collaboration of improvised sound & light with world renowned lighting designer James F. Ingalls.

Bloom has been the subject of a number of media profiles including CBS Sunday Morning, Time Magazine, NBC - TV’s Talkin' Jazz, the documentary film Reed Royalty hosted by Branford Marsalis, and NPR's Morning Edition, JazzSet, and Jazz at the Kennedy Center

Her 2002 release on Arabesque Jazz, Chasing Paint was her eleventh recording as leader/ producer and put her in the company of some of the most dynamic musicians of her generation - Fred Hersch on piano, Mark Dresser on bass, and Bobby Previte on drums. The album has all the spirit and spontaneity of jazz "in action" since it was recorded just weeks after the group had premiered the work at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Soaring through Bloom's latest compositions, the dynamism of this rhythm section pushed her into even more adventurous places. Bloom’s latest release Like Silver, Like Song, features keyboardist Jamie Saft, bassist Mark Dresser, and drummer Bobby Previte.

"Sometimes I throw sound around the band like paint and other times I play and feel as if I was carving silence like a sculptor."

Jazz critic Bob Blumenthal has described Bloom as "a leader with a commitment to adventure." Bill Milkowski has called her "A true jazz original...a restlessly creative spirit, and a modern day role model for any aspiring musician who dares to follow his or her own vision."

Bio taken from www.janeirabloom.com