The Jazz Standard Presents : Zack Varner

Sat, Mar 21

Over the last fifteen years, saxophonist and composer Zack Varner has become a steadfast member of the central Texas jazz community. In his home city of Austin, he has performed showcases at the Uplift Jazz Festival and the South by Southwest Music Festival. As a collaborator, some of his ATX music credits include performances with Red Young, Floyd Domino, Graham Reynolds, Christian Wiggs, the Texas Horns, the Austin Symphony and the Copa Kings. Though not an official San Antonian, Dr. Varner is a professor of saxophone and woodwinds at St. Mary’s University, and performs often at some of the city’s finest music venues. Internationally, Varner’s quartet has performed at the Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Santo Domingo jazz festivals. His solo album release Blues in the Nude features eleven original compositions and has garnered excellent reviews from several established music critics. The Austin Chronicle’s Jeremy Steinberger writes: “Varner expertly honors tradition with hard bop and swing themes while simultaneously exploring and building on the genre's evolution through tango, bossa nova, and samba-infused textures.” With his quartet’s debut performance at River Sun, Zack Varner will deliver an exciting and eclectic blend of blues, bop, original compositions, and some fresh takes on old favorites.