may the schwartz be with you

With the number of young saxophone players out there who equate velocity and volume with quality and art, it's refreshing then a younger player comes along who both speaks with his own voice and respects tradition. Such a player is San Francisco tenorman Anton Schwartz.

A native New Yorker and graduate of Harvard University, Schwartz, 30, is now seasoned enough to make his own statement in the jazz world. For those of us who can't make it down to the Bay Area on a weekend whim, Schwartz has two fine quartet albums on his own label, AntonJazz. They feature a number of well-conceived originals in various tempos, and some treasured standards as well. They are titled "When Music Calls" and "The Slow Lane." Visit his web site at antonjazz.com. Better yet, Portland jazz fans can check out this new and talented player at appearances this week in our city. On Saturday, April 8, Schwartz appears in concert at the Portland Central Library from 1 to 3 p.m. Bring the high school stage band kids to this one, as it's open to all ages. That same evening from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Schwartz moves over to Jazz de Opus in Old Town. For both gigs, his quartet includes Darrell Grant on piano, Scott Steed on bass and Chris Lee on drums.

Long after all the smooth jazz "here todays" have faded, players like Schwartz will be making important music. He is one of the musicians representing the future of jazz. And the future sounds good to me.