Chris Gaertz saxophone soloist in jazz, funk, pop, blues, latin ensemble

Born in 1971, at the age of twelve he decided to devote himself actively to the study of the classical clarinet. He will graduate from the “V. Bellini ”of Catania in '92. Since 1990 he feels that his way will be saxophone and jazz music, and since the summer of 1992 he begins to attend private lessons with Orazio Maugeri in Palermo and with Francesco Marini in Rome; he participates in the summer edition of the "Berklee Summer School at Umbria Jazz Clinics '94"; he follows the "Permanent Courses of Musical Improvement of the" C.P.M. of Siena "in the academic year 1996/97, under the guidance of Maurizio Giammarco, Tino Tracanna, Paolino Dalla Porta, Enrico Pieranunzi. In the summer of '97 he enters the "Conservatorium Van Amsterdam" in Holland, where in 2002 he will obtain a degree in Jazz.
On Dutch soil he has the opportunity to perfect himself with Ferdinand Povel, Jaspar Blom, Bob Malach, Chris Potter, Dick Oatts. In 1997 he records with "CAFFE 'STRONG", an all European quintet, with which he will perform in the following years in Holland, Switzerland and Italy.
Between 2000 and 2003 he leads the "jam" of one of the most famous jazz clubs in Amsterdam, Bourbon Street. In 2002 he recorded for EthnoWorld "Alleggiu Alleggiu" with MATER MATUTA, a Sicilian ethno-rock group, and in the same year for Munich Records "New Impressions" with JAZZMANIA BIG BAND under the direction of Peter Guidi. In 1993 he will record for Philology with Antonella Consolo, Giovanni Mazzarino and Marco Tamburini.
In the summer of 2005 he won the 1st prize at the "National Jazz Music Festival" of Baronissi. Between 2004 and 2007 he is Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the Sicilian Music Academy of Giovanni Mazzarino. From September 2004 to September 2009 he occupies the role of saxophonist in the ORCHESTRA JAZZ DEL MEDITERRANEO.
In July 2008 he obtained the II level degree in Jazz Music with 110 cum laude/110 and honorary mension at the "A. Corelli" Conservatory of Messina. Requested precisely by the aforementioned Institute on 13 February 2007 and on 19 May 2007 he performed as a solo saxophonist in the capital at "Vatican Radio" first and at the "San Michele a Ripa Monumental Complex" then, with the "CORELLI JAZZ ENSEMBLE" conducted by M °. Cinzia Gizzi. Both performances were curated by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities (MiBAC) and by the Directorate General for Higher Artistic, Music and Dance Training (MUR).
In June 2009 he collaborated on Francesco Bertolini's latest work, "Los dias del viaje", alongside Ellade Bandini, published by SowHatStudio.
On 14 December 2009 in Syracuse he was awarded the "Corrado Maranci Prize" for Jazz Didactics by the Sicilian Choirs Association of Val D'Anapo.
In April 2010 he took up the role of solo saxophonist in Ben Sidran's Italian Tour, with whom in the same year he recorded "Dylan Different live in Italy", published by Bonsai.
In April 2011 he was part of the Orchestra directed by M °. Lawrence "Butch" Morris for the "Conduction n.195", the only worldwide one, at the Metropolitan Theater in Catania. The following year he will be the soloist of the Italian Tour of the English crooner Anthony Strong.
In the summer of 2016 he is right shoulder, as well as soloist, in the Italian quartet of the Argentine guitarist Andres Laprida, and the following year in that of Martin Diaz Gonzales.
In February 2018 he is co-director and soloist of the SICILINA JAZZMANIA BIG BAND alongside the Canadian saxophonist Andy Sheppard, with whom he performs in two amazing concerts in Sicily.
Since the summer of 2018 he is solo saxophonist in the acoustic quartet of the singer Red Canzian, Pooh's famous singer and both bass player.
Since February 2019 he has been a teacher at the Jazz Saxophone conservatorium chair at the “V. Bellini ”of Catania.
In April 2019 ESPRESSO ROMA-CATANIA is released, an unpublished work by his Sicilian quartet with TRP Music.
He is currently engaged with the CRATERE CENTRALE, an all-Sicilian electro-jazz quartet, with which he has already participated in prestigious international festivals, and with his new jazz quartet, in which there are musicians of the caliber of Luca Mannutza and Marc Abrams.
Among others he has collaborated with: Marc Abrams, Ellade Bandini, Andrea Beneventano, Rosalba Bentivoglio, Francesco Bertolini, David Boato, Fabrizio Bosso, Francesco Cafiso, Red Canzian, Claudio Cusmano, Michelle David, Wayne Dockery, Candy Dulfer, Bobby Durham, Luca Mannutza, Massimo Faraò, Charlie Green, Peter Guidi, Paul Jeffrey, Andres Laprida, Phil Mer, Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Dino Rubino, Ben Sidran, Marco Tamburini, Andy Sheppard.