ANDREW DENICOLA

Andrew DeNicola is a jazz saxophonist/flutist and composer based in Philadelphia, who is versatile as both a working musician and an artist. His journey with music began in fourth grade, when he started playing the alto saxophone, and since then, he has had hundreds of experiences performing, recording, and producing music. 

Andrew’s credentials as a performer include working with major companies such as Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, CUNY, ACUE, and Hank Lane. He has also performed with artists throughout the US and internationally. Some of the musicians Andrew has performed alongside are jazz veterans such as Greg Osby, Antonio Hart, Michael Mossman, George Garzone, Rich Perry, Alexander Brown, and many more. He also has two degrees in jazz studies, one from Berklee College of Music, the other from Queens College. 

As a leader, Andrew has released a few records under his name, displaying his abilities not only as a saxophonist but as a composer/arranger/producer. These records include The Life of an Aquarius, 1+ 9, From the Heart, and produced a jazz vocal record entitled Stevie Sings It, Stevie Swings It. He has also collaborated in the studio with many artists on other records, such as Brooklyn Standard, Glimpse of a Second Sound, and The Writer, just to name a few. He has also performed at venues in NY, Boston, Philadelphia, and, most recently, on a successful tour in Mexico. 

Some of the awards Andrew has won have come through his studies, including his master's degree, when he received the Jimmy Heath Award, the highest honor for the legendary saxophonist who started the jazz program at Queens College. He was also awarded the Claire Fischer Award for excellence in composition from Berklee. 

When it comes to composing, Andrew has written hundreds of compositions and has been commissioned to arrange music for other ensembles such as Lost Soul Found and Plasma. He has a group with his brother Matthew DeNicola, entitled MadGoHappy, that has written music for a few documentaries through Nodehaus Media. He also has certificates through the company ELVTR in video game and film/TV scoring. 

Andrew’s style has the foundational structure of jazz but branches into many musical directions. This is a result of all the collaborations he has done and the experiences he has had traveling and performing. Andrew’s interest in movies gives his music visual imagery, and audiences have walked away from his performances, quoting, "I feel that I do not need to understand music theory to understand your music." What ties it together is that in every performance by Andrew, he meditates on the best outcome, being in the moment of what could happen, and the possibilities that can be discovered. 

Currently, Andrew is working on his next studio project and is excited to share compositions he has written over the last ten years, encompassing his journey from graduating from Berklee College of Music to playing music all over the world.