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Blog
For me, music has always been more than just sound—it's a conversation. A rhythm, a mood, a message. As someone deeply rooted in jazz and equally obsessed with digital music production, I’ve spent years developing a sound that brings those worlds together. I call it my signature sound—a fusion of improvisational jazz and modern electronic beats.
This blend didn’t come from a single moment of inspiration. It evolved through experimentation, trial and error, and my ongoing desire to push the boundaries of what music can be. In this post, I’ll walk you through how I craft that sound, from live instrumentation to digital layering, and everything in between.
I began my musical journey on the tenor saxophone—my first love and still the backbone of my sound. Jazz taught me everything about feel, timing, and the power of expression. Whether I’m playing a solo or leading an ensemble, the sax is where I explore emotion and energy.
Improvisation is key. Unlike structured genres, jazz lets me tell a new story every time I play. That same spirit of freedom carries over into how I produce music digitally. It’s not about perfection—it’s about connection.
As my interest in production grew, I started experimenting with digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Soundtrap. These platforms opened up a whole new world for me. Suddenly, I could take the raw emotion of jazz and blend it with drum patterns, synths, basslines, and textures that moved like hip-hop, house, or chillwave.
Jazz gives me the soul. Beats give me the pulse.
I don’t see it as two genres clashing—I see it as a musical handshake. A saxophone riff can ride over a lo-fi groove, a bebop solo can echo through reverb-heavy ambient layers, and a walking bassline can be chopped and looped into something entirely new.
Here’s how I typically build a track that blends jazz and beats:
I start with a live saxophone recording. It might be a melody I’ve played before, or something completely improvised. I usually record several takes, then choose the one that feels right.
Next, I create a beat that matches the vibe of the sax. I pull drums, hi-hats, and percussion samples—or program them from scratch. This is where tempo and mood really come into play.
Using soft synths, keys, or sampled instruments, I build out the harmonic framework. Sometimes it’s lush chords; other times it’s subtle textures that sit beneath the surface.
I piece the track together, tweaking the structure so the journey feels natural. The sax might drop out, then come back with a twist. Effects like reverb, delay, and sidechain compression help me create space and dynamics.
I listen. I tweak. I reimagine. I want each track to evolve organically—just like a jazz performance.
My sound is inspired by a wide range of artists—John Coltrane, Robert Glasper, Thundercat, Nujabes, and Bonobo, just to name a few. I admire artists who experiment boldly but always stay true to themselves. That’s what I try to do, too.
I’m not interested in chasing trends. I want to create something timeless—music that feels just as real in a live jazz club as it does through your headphones on a rainy night.
Blending jazz and beats isn’t just a creative choice—it’s part of my broader mission to make music accessible, innovative, and meaningful. I teach young musicians how to create their own tracks, helping them find their voices in both live performance and production.
Music doesn’t have to be one thing. It can be all things—jazz, hip-hop, ambient, house, soul. It can teach. It can heal. It can move us forward.