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Dr. Jonathan Saraga

@jonathansaraga

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• GRAMMY® Winning Trumpeter & Flugelhornist
• Award Winning Composer & Arranger
• Doctor of Musical Arts & Educator

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Here’s a sweet line by @wyntonmarsalis

TRANSCRIPTION AVAILABLE AT jonathansaraga.com/transcriptions

It’s from his solo on George and Ira Gershwin’s iconic composition, “Embraceable You”, from a live performance at the Bern Jazz Festival, in May of 1990. They’re playing it in the common horn-player’s key of Eb (concert). The line begins on measure 2 of the form. Wynton outlines the chord (Gbo) using its associated diminished scale and arpeggio. He creates a linear arc, using a run to ascend and the arpeggio to descend. We can also choose to see the harmonic content of this measure as diminished arpeggiations, assisted by approach tones.

Now begins a minor 2-5-1 in the key of Eb (with a delayed resolution coming in bar 7 of the form, after a few more chords). To keep things simple, Wynton spends this measure discussing F-7/Bb7 bebop vocabulary. The bar features a nice combination of enclosures, arpeggiations and melodic fragments, all without straying from the basic key center.

After tricking the listener into thinking everything was going to be straight ahead, he throws a twist into the mix in the following measure, the overall view of which can be seen in a few basic ways (I’m sure there are more, but these are the basic ones). Keep in mind there may be a few notes in the line that do not conform perfectly to each analysis below:

1) First half of the bar is spent playing with B-7 (E7) which would be the tritone substitution of F-7 (which can be substituted for Bb7). 2) First half of the bar is spent playing with Gb-7 or E-7 which would be a half-step pivoting either up or down from F-7 (which again, can be substituted for Bb7). 3) First half of the bar is spent playing with the Bb7 altered scale.

Which ever way you look at it, Wynton creates tension in this part of the bar. He keeps that tension going in the next part of the bar with a flurry of bebop and chromatic vocabulary (based around F-7/Bb7), slowly leading us harmonically to a resting place in the next measure, where he cleanly outlines an F minor arpeggio.

See first comment, below, for conclusion. Comments, observations welcome! taken in Internationales Jazzfestival Bern by @jonathansaraga

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6 years ago

I enjoyed transcribing yet another cool line by the great @beneunsonmusic ! Transcription is available as a PDF at jonathansaraga.com/transcriptions taken in New York, New York by @jonathansaraga

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4 years ago

No taken in New York City, N.Y. by @jonathansaraga

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4 years ago

Fun times at @jazzbinabar w/ @gordanspasovski @kiril_tufekcievski @kire_kuzmanov & filipovskivik

🎥 @danpugach

#skopje #northmacedonia #jazz taken in Skopje, North Macedonia by @jonathansaraga

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16 hours ago

Оваа недела Thursday Jazz Affair во неповторливо издание!

Не се носат сите јајца во иста кошница- рекол некој кој имал многу јајца па не ги собирало!

Жетвата заврши, ние ги собравме и во оваа недела преминавме на јајца од ној!
Крупен квинтет состав со специјален гостин на труба @jonathansaraga !

Домаќините кои го канат и заедно ќе го доближат Њу Јорк до Скопје :
@gordanspasovski пијано
@kire_kuzmanov саксофон
@kiril_tufekcievski бас
@filipovskivik тапани

Ова не е настан кој се повторува а местата се однапред резервирани и достапниот капацитетот намален поради ексклузивност.

Линкот за резервации е активен:

https://eventl.in/sdGJhywQOE by @jonathansaraga

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7 days ago

Happy to share that my composition “The Guardians,” from Journey to a New World, was selected as one of three finalists in the Jazz category of the 2026 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

Big thanks to @remyleboeuf @aki_ishiguro_ @chrispattishall @rickrosatobass & @kennsalters for bringing the music to life on the recording I submitted; to @plkarl for the studio and engineering; and to Jordi at @freshsoundrecordsmusic for believing in the music and helping put it out into the world.

I’m also looking forward to receiving some great gear from @rolandglobal @audiotechnicausa @avidtechnology @solidstatelogic & @reasonstudios as part of the finalist prize package.

Grateful for the recognition, and congratulations to the other finalists as well. 🙏🏼🎺🎶

📷 @gulnaraphotographer

#johnlennonsongwritingcontest #jazzcomposer #jazzcomposition #originaljazz #contemporaryjazz taken in John Lennon Memorial by @jonathansaraga

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24 days ago

(Español abajo)⁠ An evening of exceptional jazz awaits at Saint Peter’s Church. Join us this Sunday at 5:00 PM as Jonathan Saraga brings Jazz Vespers to life in one of New York City’s most unique sacred spaces. Free admission. RSVP at the link in bio.⁠
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Una noche de jazz excepcional te espera en Saint Peter’s Church. Acompáñanos este domingo a las 5:00 PM para disfrutar de Jazz Vespers con Jonathan Saraga en uno de los espacios sagrados más singulares de Nueva York. Entrada gratuita. Confirma tu asistencia en el enlace en la bio.⁠
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#jazzvespers #livejazz #nycjazz #saintpeterschurch by @jonathansaraga

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a month ago

I’m really looking forward to this one…

A lot of friends have been or will be playing concerts celebrating the centennial of Miles Davis or John Coltrane, so it’s nice to be able to be a part of that as well.

On Sunday, September 13, I’ll be at Saint Peter’s Church with @victorgould , @boriskozlovbass and @e.j.strickland for a special Jazz Vespers celebrating 100 years of Miles Davis.

It’s impossible to fit a career like Miles’ into one set. He went through so many different bands, sounds, and periods, and each one could be a whole concert on its own. So, we’re not trying to cover everything or make a kind of definitive statement — just spend some time with a handful of tunes connected to him, play them in our own way, and celebrate how much his music has meant to us.

Hope to see some friends there!

#milesdavis #centennial #concert taken in Saint Peter's Church by @jonathansaraga

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a month ago

We’re back at @smallslive this Thursday, August 13th at 9pm & 10:30pm! #smallsjazzclub #nycjazz #jazznight

🎥 @maxnierlichvideo taken in Smalls Jazz Club by @jonathansaraga

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2 months ago

I’m deeply honored to share that I am 1 of 15 selected to receive a Chamber Music America “New Jazz Works” grant for 2026.

I’ve known about the New Jazz Works grant for a long time, probably for almost 15 years—and have always viewed it as one of the most important grants available to jazz composers. I’ve seen many friends, colleagues, and musicians I deeply respect receive this recognition and create incredible projects because of it. I’ve personally applied before, followed the work that came out of the program, and hoped that one day I’d have the chance to be a part of it, so this news still feels surreal.

Thank you to Chamber Music America, the New Jazz Works program, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and this year’s panelists for their time, consideration, and for believing in both my work and the project I proposed. It means a great deal to have the support of an organization and program that I have admired for so many years.

I also want to thank the many musicians who have been part of my creative projects over the years. Every rehearsal, performance, recording session, even conversation about music has shaped the way I hear, think about, and create it. The trust so many musicians have placed in me and my work has helped shape the composer and arranger I am today, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.

Finally, I’m thinking about the many teachers, mentors, students, friends, family members, loved ones, and heroes who have influenced me over the years. Some changed the course of my life. Others may never know the impact they had through a single lesson, conversation, performance, opportunity, or act of kindness. I’m grateful for all of it.

I’m excited to get to work and look forward to sharing more about the project in the future.

Much love,
Jonathan taken in New York City by @jonathansaraga

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4 months ago

a shape forms
without asking to be named

the edges blur
and what was there
moves past itself

🎹 @arcopolo
🎻 @_nickjoz
🥁 @kennsalters
🎷 @the_marvincarter
🎥 @maxnierlichvideo
🎺 @yamahamusicusa @bachbrass
🏟️ @smallslive

#smallsjazzclub #jazzvibes #livemusicnyc #trumpetsolo #jazzlife taken in Smalls Jazz Club by @jonathansaraga

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5 months ago

Some 🎺🎶 w/ the brilliant @jihyeleejiyo and her big band at @thejazzgallery from earlier this month… taken in The Jazz Gallery by @jonathansaraga

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6 months ago