Artist Statement

The mood of people around me has always acutely affected how I feel. This innate quality helps me connect with others more easily, but it also exposes me to their pain. Music renders this trait useful for others while also helping me process my own experiences. It’s a shared territory where my emotions and others’ cohere.

I compose and perform on the saxophone and other woodwind instruments, and I aim to inspire love and empathy through my work. I believe in the timeless and universal power of spontaneous creation to galvanize people. As Betty Carter said, “YOU can be new because WE are new all the time!”

 My work draws heavily from jazz and improvised music as well as other forms of Black American and European Classical music. My art is an expression of my own experiences, a continuation of the legacy of elder jazz musicians, and a reflection on the social and political climate of the United States. Black music has always flourished in defiance of violence, greed, and white supremacy. My music is intended to be a temporary respite from, a healing force for, and an organizing battle cry against those forces. Sometimes it’s all three at once.

Short Biography

NYC woodwind artist and composer Max Bessesen creates music that “pushes boundaries without being abstruse and is stirringly emotive while eschewing melodrama.” (Jazziz Magazine) His “saxophone virtuosity” (Downbeat) has helped him perform in bands led by Darcy James Argue, Mimi Jones, and Tyler Mitchell. He has played on four continents, and in New York venues like Dizzy’s Club, The Jazz Gallery, and Birdland. His 2020 album Trouble (Ropeadope) features Ron Miles and the single “Bakkam” won an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award. Support for this and other projects came from Luminarts, Pathways to Jazz, and The Beebe Fund. Max is the recipient of four Downbeat student music awards including the “Outstanding Soloist” award.