Photo provided | Mark Sheldon
Tenor saxophonist Sophie Faught is shown at a past performance.
Tenor saxophonist Sophie Faught gets compliments on her jazz sounds, some of it original.
And Faught gets compliments on her clothing, some of it original, too. Suffice it to say that she likes to present a cool vibe all the way around, whether she’s making a musical statement or fashion statement.
“I believe that jazz is a lot about how you present yourself,” she said while driving recently from Louisville, Kentucky.
The Bloomington-based Faught will bring her complete, funky style to her appearance Oct. 11 at the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s Jazz at Helen’s series at Helen Haddad Hall in downtown Columbus. She is known as an improviser, composer and band leader. And she hopes to bring a broad setlist.
“It’s still kind of in the process of formation,” she said, though she promised “definitely a few classic, crowd-pleaser-type things.”
She figures it will range from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ “Moanin’” to Horace Silver’s “Sister Sadie.” Goodness knows she has assembled a seasoned ensemble to surround her.
Faught’s band will consist of trumpeter Mark Buselli, who has performed at the local venue several times now; Steve Snyder on piano and organ; and drummer Brian Yarde. She’s heard of the string of sellouts at the local series. Too, she’s aware of the success of the new, free, recently completed inaugural season of the JazzIN Columbus outdoor series.
“I’m thrilled to hear all of it — absolutely,” she said. “I believe that there are people who live their whole, entire life in Indiana, but maybe are unaware of the unique heritage that Indiana has in jazz history.”
The artist has performed in venues across the country and world, including Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She also has headlined at the nationally recognized Portland Jazz Festival, leading her own group in original compositions and jazz standards. Plus, she has appeared with Slide Hampton, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Terrell Stafford, and Dick Oates.
Faught was first exposed to jazz through the records her visual artist father played in his art studio while he worked. She recalled a music teacher years ago giving her the Miles Davis disc “Birth of the Cool” to listen to. A minute or two into the album, she realized she had grown up with the groove.
“And with jazz, I realized that, overall, the more I listened, the more I liked it,” she said.
And yes, for those who are wondering, she still gets questions about the minority of women in jazz, especially because in many of her musical circles, she remains the only woman. But she answers such inquiries the same way she always has done so since she was a fairly younger player.
“Jazz really isn’t at all about gender,” she said. “It’s all about the sound and the feeling.”
More than anything, with her sound and her feeling, she is aiming for one thing at next week’s show.
“What I really would like to hear them say afterward,” she said, “is ‘Wow, that really brought a lot of joy to my life.’ That’s what I want to hear because that’s what this all about.”
About the concert
Who: Tenor sax player Sophie Faught at the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s Jazz at Helen’s series.
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11.
Where: Helen Haddad Hall, 315 Franklin St. in downtown Columbus.
Tickets: thecip.org.
