Stanley Killian

INSTRUMENTAL AND VOCAL DEPARTMENT - saxophone

New York-based saxophonist and composer Stan Killian has released three critically acclaimed albums for Sunnyside Records.  He’s performed in some of New York City’s top venues like The Iridium, Kitano, Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, Carnegie Hall as well as in the hardcore jazz venues like The 55 Bar, Jazz Gallery, Smalls Jazz Club and The Cellar Dog (formerly known as Fat Cat) He has also toured the U.S., Europe, Japan, Korea, China, and Mexico.

Born into a musical family, Killian hails from Texas and started performing professionally at age 15 with his father Joe, a jazz pianist and B3 organist who worked as a sideman with Sonny Sitt, Dexter Gordon, Don Wilkerson, and Jimmy Ford.  Stan earned a B.A. in Music Performance at Texas State University in 2001 and studied with pianist James Polk, the Grammy nominated arranger and organist for Ray Charles.  At the age of 21, he released his first album “Straight Ahead”, a record of standards featuring his father, James Polk and trumpeter Martin Banks.  In 2003, he formed Com Você a quintet with vocalist Margret Grebowicz and released “Candeias”.  After a two-year stay in Baltimore and Washington DC, Killian moved to New York City and recorded the eponymous “Com Você ” with Ben Monder, Scott Colley and Antonio Sanchez thus beginning his relationship with Sunnyside Records.

In 2009, with a new focus to perform his original music, Killian teamed up with Benito Gonzalez, Corcoran Holt and McClenty Hunter forming a powerful quartet which performed monthly at the legendary 55 Bar in New York. Adding the star power of Roy Hargrove, David Binney and Jeremy Pelt who were impressed with Killian’s work, they recorded “Unified” in 2011.  A year later, the quartet expanded to quintet with guitarist Mike Moreno.  After a year of gigs at The 55 Bar, “Evoke” was recorded and released in 2013 prompting tours of Asia, Mexico and the US. Both albums received stellar reviews in JazzTimes, Down Beat, All About Jazz  among many other publications.  

With veteran guitarist Paul Bollenback recently joining the band, Killian is set to release “Brooklyn Calling” in June.  In addition to being an in-demand sideman, Killian continues to perform several times a month at the 55 Bar and hosts the Monday Night Jam at The Queens Brewery in Bushwick/Ridgewood, NY.  He’s recently nominated for a Grammy for his performance on the track “I Believe” by Shine and The Moonbeams from the compilation “All One Tribe”.