Joshua Coleman

Originally from Rapid City, South Dakota 21-year-old Josh Coleman began playing the saxophone when he was in the third grade as it was the only instrument available in the house. His first saxophone was an antique "Beaufort American Chicago" model "A". He says "it leaked like hell and nearly half the keys didn't work but it was what I had". Over the course of his 13 years of playing thus far he has won numerous soloist awards and has had a starring role in the soundtrack of a 2005 HBO documentary. In 2009 he received an offer to travel to Amherst Massachusetts and record with the late Yusef A. Lateef of the Cannonball Atterly Sextet, and legendary saxophonist Archie Shepp after a live audition over speakerphone with one of Lateef's producers in 2009, unfortunately due to Lateef's declining health the project never became a reality. Later that year he was recomended to join the New Mexico Ambassadors of Music as a member of the symphonic band and toured across Europe playing a series of concerts in England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. He won the title "Best Instrumental Performance" at the 2011 New Mexico Music Awards shortly after the release of his debut album entitled "A Willow Deeply Scarred". He won the state award for his solo rendition of "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin. He has studied with many people including but not limited to Robert Starner, Juan Cruz (one of Lateef's students who also collaborated with Shepp and Lateef), Dr. Eric Lau and most recently Kanoa Kaluhiwa. His largest musical influences in saxophone are Yusef A. Lateef, Sonny Rollins, David Sanborn, Archie Shepp and Candy Dulfer. Along with vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Sutton Foster and Gloria Gaynor. His P.Mauriat custom 66 series Alto and Tenor are in fact named Sutton and Aretha.
Pending the November 1st release of his his sophomore album teaming up with saxophonist, piano player, vocalist and long-time friend Justin Sanchez, he is hoping to go for a somewhat different feel than the last album. "In the last album it just felt like I was trying to make it too thought provoking, I just want to do something that swings". Their plan of action in the new album is to create some new takes on old classics. From soul-satisfying dueling harmonies on the Irving Berlin classic jazz standard "Blue Skies" to the solemn tones of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" by Charles Gabrial Josh feels that the upcoming album entitled "Dr. Feelgood" will truly be something special.
As Josh is now completing his undergraduate degree in Special Education at the University of New Mexico, he is finding enjoyment in the prospect of using the power of music as a form of therapy. He recently began working on a project at the New Mexico School of Music in conjunction with Dr. Julietta Rabens to design a music therapy curriculum for students of all ages on the autism spectrum (AS). This curriculum uses music to help the students with issues that generally arise in the midst of autism spectrum disorders. The therapy will help the students with sensory integration problems along with integrating their vestibular and proprioceptive awareness. The motor coordination involved in playing music can also help students with neuroplasticity of the corpus collosum, in other words-- using both halves of the brain for compound thought. If all goes as planned the curriculum will begin promotion and pilot classes sometime in the next several months. He is also in the process of publishing his first book on the teaching of special education, the book is entitled "Teaching Special Education: A Basic Handbook to those Leading Exceptional Lives". The book is 91 pages in length and encompasses nearly all disabilities in a system organized by questions and possible solutions. If all goes as planned the handbook will be avaliable in eBook format later this year.

"The only Tradition in Music is to be yourself"- Yusef A. Lateef

With the recording of Dr.Feelgood done Joshua is setting his sights on recording another solo album based on the music of american composer, songwriter and lyricist Cole Porter. The album will include around half of the Cole Porter songbook including his classic standards like "Begin The Beguine" and "I Get A Kick Out Of You".