RON HOLLOWAY
World Renowned Tenor Saxophonist
Ron Holloway is one of the busiest tenor saxophonists on today's music scene in any genre! Recently, Ron toured extensively with The Warren Haynes Band, in support of two critically acclaimed releases on the Stax Records label. Holloway is a frequent guest of Gov't Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band and The Allman Brothers Band. Over the years, he has been a member of an eclectic roster of groups, including; The Warren Haynes Band, the Susan Tedeschi Band, the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, Gil Scott-Heron and Root Boy Slim.
Since 2014, audiences have been filling venues to see Holloway's latest project: His own band. A high energy, sax-driven funk machine, called The Ron Holloway Band!
In the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, renowned jazz critic Ira Gitler describes Ron Holloway as "a bear-down-hard-bopper who can blow authentic R&B and croon a ballad with warm, blue feeling." While true, this only begins to touch upon the versatility of the tenor saxophonist! The quest for complete expression has been a hallmark of Ron Holloway's music from the beginning.
Holloway combines passion and a broad dynamic range to generate an exciting and distinctive sound...Like [Sonny] Rollins, Holloway strives to push the tenor sax beyond the limits of its dynamic range. He notes that the instrument was originally designed to play a range of two and a half octaves. By using special fingering techniques, Holloway can hit registers spanning almost five octaves. Holloway demonstrates his extraordinary range while maintaining precise control over a melody. As Holloway hits the highest register, Dr. [Billy] Taylor remarks, "That’s amazing to me". -- NPR.org
Ron proudly endorses Theo Wanne products and is the recipient of no less than forty-two Washington Area Music Awards, two of them for Musician of the Year. "Among the many things I would like to do, is reflect the entire history of the tenor saxophone in my playing. The saxophone is a relatively young instrument but what an illustrious legacy it already has. There's much to be done!
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Saxophonist Ron Holloway returns home to D.C.
"Invent fresh variations on the melody and fill your tone with emotion. Ron Holloway has mastered both....Holloway can work both sides of the border because he knows when to focus on chord substitution and when to focus on R&B feeling. He leans in the latter direction when he leads the D.C.-based Ron Holloway Band, formed in 2014. Featuring two female singers and a blues-funk rhythm section, the septet establishes the basic elements of a song such as “God Make Me Funky” or “Hello Operator” before Holloway’s horn solo twists those ingredients into strange new shapes."
~Geoffry Himes, The Washington Post
“Holloway combines passion and a broad dynamic range to generate an exciting and distinctive sound...Like [Sonny] Rollins, Holloway strives to push the tenor sax beyond the limits of its dynamic range. He notes that the instrument was originally designed to play a range of two and a half octaves. By using special fingering techniques, Holloway can hit registers spanning almost five octaves. Holloway demonstrates his extraordinary range while maintaining precise control over a melody. As Holloway hits the highest register, Dr. [Billy] Taylor remarks, "That’s amazing to me".”
Saxman Holloway on Sitting In With The Stars
Ron discusses his "welcome status with some of music’s biggest acts" and the time he sat in with Stevie Ray Vaughn in Washington, DC.