Alex Dean is one of the most recorded saxophonists in Canadian jazz. He spent years holding the tenor chair in Rob McConnell's Boss Brass, a band that won Grammys and Junos and played with pretty much everyone worth playing with. His own records, including Kaitlyn's Waltz and At This Point, have been well received, and he has been a fixture on the Toronto scene as a player and an educator for decades.
The list of people he has worked with covers a lot of ground. Gil Evans. Kenny Wheeler. Aretha Franklin. Natalie Cole. Harry Connick Jr. Mel Torme. Ray Charles. The Boss Brass. The Toronto Symphony. He has also taught at the University of Toronto and Humber College, and he has been the artistic director of the Kincardine Summer Jazz Festival for years.
At the 2011 festival
Dean came to Charlottetown in August 2011 and played two sets on the Saturday. First he teamed up with Island guitarist Ian Toms on the outdoor stage on Victoria Row at two in the afternoon. Then at four he moved over to Casa Mia Cafe to lead a free workshop. The workshop was open to anyone, part of the festival's long-running series of afternoon sessions with visiting players.
If you were there, you might remember the pairing with Toms. The two of them had not played together much before, but the set worked. Dean's tone is clear and direct, and Toms has a way of fitting around a horn player that makes the music breathe. It was the kind of afternoon show that the festival does well. Casual, close, and over too soon.
Later years
Dean has kept playing and recording since then. He released At This Point in 2010, just before the festival, and has continued to work with various groups including D.E.W. East and the Boss Brass reunion. He remains one of the go-to reed players in the country, the kind of musician other musicians call when they need someone who can handle anything.
For the current festival, head to the schedule page or the main lineup page. This archive is kept for looking back.