Andrew Van Tassel

Andrew Van Tassel is a jazz saxophonist based in Brooklyn, New York.

Raised in New Jersey, just a jump and a skip from the big city, he was fortunate to cultivate his early interest in jazz at the Manhattan School of Music as a high school student. His early obsession with music often kept him awake late night after night, absorbing the sounds of his musical heroes.

Though Andrew was always an avid listener, he was not serious about a career in performance until the end of his undergrad years. The summer before his senior year at the University of North Carolina he was offered the opportunity to record on Summit Records as a sideman for his mentor. After getting a taste of playing music on such a high level, he knew there was no going back. Upon graduation at UNC Andrew picked up and moved to Boston to attend the New England Conservatory for his Master’s degree.

While earning his Master’s in performance on scholarship at NEC, Van Tassel studied with jazz luminaries including Jerry Bergonzi, Donny McCaslin, John McNeil, and MacArthur Fellows Jason Moran and Miguel Zenon. It was during this time that he was able to hone in on developing his own approach to both his instrument and improvisation. Van Tassel finished his degree in the spring of 2012, and is now establishing himself as an emerging voice in the New York music scene.