Schneider

LAHAINA – Saxophonist Eric Schneider will appear at the Maui Sara Jazz Event 2017 on Friday, Dec. 8, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Longhi’s Lahaina, along with Gene Argel (keyboard and vocals), Danny M on bass and Paul Marchetti on drums.

Tickets are $22 in advance; visit www.mauisarajazz.com or call (808) 667-7979.

For further information, contact Sara Gadarian at sara@mauisarajazz .com or (808) 667-7979.

Schneider’s versatility on clarinet and saxophone led him at an early age to join Jim Beebe’s Chicago Jazz Band. An audition tape sent to the famous Earl “Fatha” Hines resulted in a four-year worldwide engagement and the album “Eric and Earl” (Hines insisted on second billing).

With Hines’ blessing, Schneider accepted an offer to join the Count Basie Orchestra. He toured with Basie for two years and recorded three albums, including the Grammy Award-winning “88 Basie Street.” He has recorded two other albums as a leader and many others as a side person.

After six years of more than 40 weeks per year of traveling, Schneider stopped leading the nomadic life – but not before also working with Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Benny Goodman, Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Billy Eckstine and Sarah Vaughan.

These days, by choice, he works primarily in Chicago in a myriad of musical settings. This year found Eric working with large groups: The Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Main Stem Jazz Orchestra, and Alan Gresik Swing Orchestra.