Kirsten Edkins is an accomplished saxophonist, recording artist, band leader and teacher who seeks to give the gift of music to empower and encourage others. Her career has taken her coast to coast as she’s followed her love of the artform and now resides in her native Southern California.

Inspired by jazz greats such as John Coltrane, Eddie Harris and Joe Henderson, she developed her own voice of thoughtfulness that is expressed on her two albums. Her newest release Shapes & Sound was recorded LIVE in an all- valve (vacuum tube) recording studio for famed mastering engineer Kevin Gray. The album was a culmination of her process of refining her craft and putting in the work to develop her own thoughtful voice. That voice can be heard in the unique compositions and improvisational phrasing.

Edkins was the first woman to perform in Bill Holman’s Big Band and has been a member of several Grammy- award winning bands: John Beasley’s MONK’estra, the Claire Fischer Band, Big Phat Band and the late composer Johnny Mandel’s band. She’s performed on many television shows, such as “American Idol”, “the Late, Late Show”, “Tonight Show” and “The Voice” where she’s worked with artists like Pharrell Williams, Katherine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.

A graduate of the Eastman School of music, Edkins’ music isn’t just for her, but to show her students everything that can be accomplished through music, from problem solving to self-expression. She understands how encouraging her students often empowers them in other areas of their life. She has a private studio in Southern California, has taught at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Bill Green Mentorship for the LA Jazz Institute, Monterey Jazz Camp, Stanford Jazz Camp, and Idyllwild Performing Arts. She is a proud D’Addario Winds Artist and plays Retro Revival mouthpieces. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.