Confeddie

THE BUZZ ABOUT HAILEY... Hailey Niswanger won the saxophone competition at the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Festival in 2008 and earned an invitation to return as a headliner at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 2009. I was very impressed by the way she played and handled herself, especially as a leader. Her group was very good -- very tight - and they got a standing ovation. I especially liked Hailey's playing...she makes the saxophone do what it's supposed to do. Her set was varied with both original compositions and things that people recognized. Hailey's trying to say something personal and that's what jazz is about. What she's saying is here's the music of some jazz masters and I want to join them and spread the joy of this music and keep it alive for future generations. I'm delighted when I encounter young people like Hailey who are saying jazz is a lot of fun and this is how I have fun - presenting it to you. -Dr. Billy Taylor Hailey Niswanger's debut CD is mind blowing on several levels. Her advanced, lyrical and interesting solo lines are mature beyond imagination. She naturally flows through her extended vocabulary of historical saxophone combined with newer, fresher ideas. But I am primarily swept away by the joy she emanates as her soul pours from the bell of her horn. I am a proud and huge fan. - John Clayton Hailey Niswanger has all the important characteristics of true jazz musicianship. Her consummate debut 'Confeddie,' illustrates her bright and rising voice in the sound of jazz today, etched in a deep-rooted sense of tradition and legacy. What makes Hailey so special is her sound and phrasing (beyond her years), as well as her attention to melody and song - not just notes and scales. I have had the great pleasure of observing her development over the last few years since she was a sophomore in high school, so I feel confident in saying that the face of jazz is changing - to include more young women - and the future of jazz is in great hands. - Terri Lyne Carrington The greatest compliment I received as a young, aspiring jazz musician came from the 'elder statesmen' of jazz. After hearing my friends (Chris McBride, Roy Hargrove, Nick Payton to name a few) and me play they were relieved to see the jazz legacy they worked so hard to protect was indeed in good hands. I'm very proud to pass that sentiment on to Hailey and the young musicians she assembled on her debut CD. They play with a depth of emotion and clarity of ideas far beyond their years and I'm excited to listen as the future of jazz unfolds in their hands! - Mark Whitfield (Sr.) Hailey's put together a tasteful collection of terrific straight-ahead jazz on Confeddie, highlighted by great interactivity among really swinging musicians. She has a strong voice on her instrument and will be exciting to watch for years to come. - Taylor Eigsti Hailey's Bio- Hailey Niswanger (pronounced NICE-wonger) - entering her sophomore year at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she is studying jazz performance on a full scholarship in the fall of 2009 -- has an impressive list of accomplishments that reach far beyond the borders of her home in Oregon and well beyond her 19 years. Born February 12, 1990 in Houston, Texas, she has already shared the stage with DeeDee Bridgewater, George Duke, George Garzone, Red Holloway, Terell Stafford, Phil Woods, James Moody, Steve Nelson, Christian McBride, McCoy Tyner, Maceo Parker, Wynton Marsalis, Mark Whitfield and other jazz greats and leads her own quartet that has performed at the Portland Jazz Festival, Jimmy Mak's Jazz Club, Mt. Hood Jazz Festival and other jazz venues around Portland. With the June 2009 release of her recording debut as a leader -- the self-produced and self-released CD Confeddie -- Hailey is poised to break out nationally through U.S. jazz radio promotion and publicity campaigns. Although she also plays soprano sax, clarinet and flute, Hailey showcases solely her alto sax skills on Confeddie which features a rhythm section composed of fellow Berklee students Michael Palma