Chad Eby
Associate Professor, Saxophone, Jazz Ensemble
School of Music
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Email Address: ceeby@uncg.edu
Education
M.M. Ohio State University ’01, B.M. University of North Texas ‘98
Biography
Saxophonist and composer Chad Eby has earned widespread critical acclaim as “a consummate improviser” (Jazz Times), who “has tremendous poise and natural melodic sense” (Ottawa Sun), and whose “tone is boundless, blues-inflected, and wholly satisfying” (AllAboutJazz.com).
Additionally active as a composer, he has received awards for jazz composition from the Ohio Arts Council (2003) and the North Carolina Arts Council (2009). With over 150 pieces for large jazz ensemble, Chad’s professionally commissioned works have been performed or recorded by Bill Charlap with Kurt Elling, Wynton Marsalis with Willie Nelson and Norah Jones, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, and the L.A. All-Star Big Band. Eby is a clinician for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington program and has been a featured guest artist/clinician at universities and high schools across the country.
A Newhall, Iowa native, Eby is a life-long student of music. While based in Columbus, Ohio, he released his first album, “Triptych”, garnering critical acclaim from AllAboutJazz.com and fellow saxophonist Branford Marsalis. His second album, “Broken Shadows”, was released in February of 2010, featuring Steve Haines, Jason Marsalis, Doug Wamble, and Branford Marsalis. “New Business” (2012) came soon after, featuring a suite of original compositions based on the visual art of Trenton Doyle Hancock. 2014’s “The Sweet Shel Suite: Music Inspired by Shel Silverstein” followed and received a four-star rating from DownBeat magazine. His most recent releases are “BFFs” (2019) and “BFFs II – Friendships” (2021) with pianist/vocalist/composer Ariel Pocock.
Chad Eby is a D’Addario Woodwinds and Conn-Selmer Performing Artist.
“…there is a movement in jazz that embraces a once taken-for-granted model: modernity thru authenticity. Here is where we find Chad Eby.” – Branford Marsalis
“Chad Eby, a consummate artist, is a superb saxophonist and a highly skilled arranger. He is in the top echelon of the worlds finest musicians.” – Bill Charlap
“I once heard a master musician say ‘if you want to genuinely create, know all the decades’. Chad Eby is one of those musicians who carries all the decades of jazz along as he creates. So much so you’d think he be more stooped over. Rather, we hear him reaching back, standing straight up and moving the musical ball up the field. So refreshing to hear in a time of wandering around the creative process. A pleasure to encounter. A thrill to listen.” Gary Walker – WBGO, New York
Subjects Taught
- Applied jazz saxophone
- Jazz arranging
- Jazz improvisation
- Jazz history
- Jazz ensembles
- Small jazz combos