Biography
New England saxophonist Myanna Pontoppidan, who records and performs solely under her first name, built a reputation as one of the more aggressive and forceful voices within the pop-jazz and NAC arena. Although she commands tenor, alto, soprano, and baritone horns and steers clear of strict bop conventions, her melodic yet groove-driven fusion of jazz, R&B, and pop elements comes across as noticeably bolder and more improvisatory than the typical NAC and smooth-jazz releases that dominated radio during the 1990s and early 2000s; her improvisational bent places her well apart from figures such as Kenny G, Dave Koz, and Richard Elliot. Her sound frequently echoes the pop-jazz, soul-jazz, and jazz-funk currents of the 1970s and early 1980s, drawing clear inspiration from David Sanborn, Tom Scott, David "Fathead" Newman, and the late Grover Washington, Jr., along with Wilton Felder of Crusaders and Jazz Crusaders renown, Maceo Parker during his long tenure with James Brown, and Spyro Gyra founder Jay Beckenstein. Early Ronnie Laws, particularly the albums Friends and Strangers from 1977 and Fever from 1976, offers another apt parallel, while occasional Latin-tinged passages suggest the more commercial, pop-oriented side of Gato Barbieri rather than his post-bop or free-jazz explorations. Occasional quiet-storm R&B vocals surface on her recordings, yet she remains an instrumentalist above all.
The prevalence of 1970s touchstones is unsurprising given that she first gained attention on the New England circuit during that decade after growing up in Weston, Massachusetts, where she absorbed jazz, blues, soul, rock, and pop in equal measure. Following studies with saxophonist Joe Viola at Berklee College of Music in Boston and with drummer Max Roach at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, she joined the Northampton, Massachusetts-based soul and funk ensemble Lilith. She departed Lilith late in the decade to work with the Bill Bellamy Project, then in 1984 co-founded Girls Night Out alongside saxophonist Cercie Miller and vocalist Didi Stewart. The group began as a cover act saluting early-1960s girl groups including the Shirelles and the Ronettes before shifting toward original material and cultivating a modest regional audience. After Girls Night Out disbanded, Myanna performed briefly with another Massachusetts outfit, the Love Dogs, before issuing her own projects. Her self-titled debut appeared on Bridge City Records in 1992, followed by the 1997 sophomore release After Hours and the 2004 album One Never Knows, Do One?, all issued on the same independent label.
The prevalence of 1970s touchstones is unsurprising given that she first gained attention on the New England circuit during that decade after growing up in Weston, Massachusetts, where she absorbed jazz, blues, soul, rock, and pop in equal measure. Following studies with saxophonist Joe Viola at Berklee College of Music in Boston and with drummer Max Roach at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, she joined the Northampton, Massachusetts-based soul and funk ensemble Lilith. She departed Lilith late in the decade to work with the Bill Bellamy Project, then in 1984 co-founded Girls Night Out alongside saxophonist Cercie Miller and vocalist Didi Stewart. The group began as a cover act saluting early-1960s girl groups including the Shirelles and the Ronettes before shifting toward original material and cultivating a modest regional audience. After Girls Night Out disbanded, Myanna performed briefly with another Massachusetts outfit, the Love Dogs, before issuing her own projects. Her self-titled debut appeared on Bridge City Records in 1992, followed by the 1997 sophomore release After Hours and the 2004 album One Never Knows, Do One?, all issued on the same independent label.
Albums
Singles
