About

Born on January 21st, 1958, in North Vancouver, BC, Canada, alto saxophonist Dylan Cramer started his journey on the saxophone at age 13, after the sudden death of his father.

Four years later, Cramer’s best friend introduced him to a record by jazz alto saxophonist Sonny Criss. Hearing Sonny instantly changed Cramer’s life, and he made up his mind then and there to find Sonny and study with him.

Two years later, Dylan made the trek from Canada to Los Angeles to meet Sonny. What followed was eight months of incredible joy for Cramer, as he not only studied with Sonny but developed a very close relationship with him. Then, tragically, on November 19th, 1977, Sonny Criss committed suicide.

Unsure of what to do or where to go next, Dylan received a huge break from Dick Grove, who ran a music workshop school in Studio City where Cramer was taking a few classes. With Dick’s help, Cramer was introduced to Phil Sobel, one of L.A.’s finest studio musicians and a teacher of the highest calibre.

Working with Phil was a monumental turning point in Dylan’s life. He spent eight gruelling, insightful years under Sobel’s tutelage and credits Phil with saving his life, both as a man and as an artist.

After his time with Phil, Cramer returned to Canada, where he began his teaching and recording career.  

Since then he has recorded six albums, plays regularly with his jazz trio, and teaches the saxophone full time.  

In 2019, Dylan introduced himself as a writer with the publication of "Alto Saxophone Mastery.” Since then, he has published three more books: “Chasing My Father,” “Flute Artistry,” and “Cold Spaghetti.” He is currently working on a new recording and a new book.

Artistry

Lessons

Dylan offers private lessons on saxophone, flute, clarinet, violin, and all other band instruments. 

• All ages and levels are welcome. 

• Music lessons are offered at the Kerrisdale Community Centre in Vancouver. In-home lessons are also available.

For more information, contact Dylan at dcaltosax@gmail.com or 604-318-1157.

Upcoming Gigs

• August 25th, 2027 / Brentwood Presbyterian Church / 8:00-9:00pm / Admission by donation / With Michael Creber, piano and Steve Holy, bass / Honouring the memory of Ron Johnston

Testimonials

Books

Cold Spaghetti

Cold Spaghetti is a collection of heartfelt, mysterious and thought-porovoking observations drawn from one man's journey through life.

Along with his passion for writing, Dylan Cramer is a saxophonist and teacher.

Flute Artistry

This book will reveal the process of flute artistry as seen through the eyes of three men: Henry Lindeman, Phil Sobel, and Dylan Cramer. Their combined effort spans over 100 years, dating back to the 1920s and continuing to the present day.

Topics in this book will include vibrato, sound production, phrasing, articulation, interpretation, improvisation, nuance, and dynamics, along with the study of the four cornerstones, offered here for the first time to the flute community.

Chasing My Father

In Chasing My Father, Dylan Cramer revisits his time beside the father he adored and cherished. He also recounts the peace movement of the sixties and his life as a commune child. Despite numerous struggles and heartbreaks in his early years, Cramer soldiered on into adulthood where more tragedy befell him. Taken to the brink several times, Cramer reveals an “inside voice” which guided and inspired him to keep moving forward. His determination to not give up amidst the many challenges he faced is truly inspirational.

Alto Saxophone Mastery

DYLAN CRAMER has been obsessed with the alto saxophone since he first started playing it in 1971, at the age of 13. He studied with legendary jazz alto saxophonist Sonny Criss, and then with Phil Sobel, one of LA’s top studio musicians and teachers.

In ALTO SAXOPHONE MASTERY, Cramer provides an exemplary collection of principles and guidelines set down from a lifetime of playing and teaching. Cramer devotes his advice to the alto saxophonist based on positioning, air delivery, and finger expertise. He then tackles specific topics such as vibrato, nuance, phrasing, interpretation, and improvisation. Many of the book’s chapters are illuminated by anecdotes of his time spent with both Criss and Sobel.

Receiving improper instruction from the outset can be disastrous for the alto saxophonist. As Cramer says, “The alto saxophone is a machine; learn to operate it first, and then and only then, move to the music at hand.” With this book, aspiring saxophonists everywhere will have the benefit of Cramer’s expert guidance and methods in their quest for alto saxophone mastery.

Recordings

Remembering Sonny Criss

This is my first recording from 1997. I was honoured to work with a fantastic trio, Ron Johnston on piano, John Nolan on drums, and the great Leroy Vinnegar on bass. Special thanks also to the producer, Torben Oxbol, and to the recording engineer, Commodor Barrett. Creating this album for my teacher and friend, Sonny Criss, is something I will never forget. Sonny, this one’s for you!

All Night Long

This is a very special recording for me. Done just a year after my album for Sonny, this was my first recording with Nagel-Heyer Records from Hamburg. I owe a great debt to them for taking a chance on me and believing in me. I also owe a great deal to the musicians who joined me for this recording, especially my pianist, Ron Johnston. Thanks also to Commodor Barrett, whose superior skills in both recording and mixing were put to the test on this album!

Bumpin’ On Sunset

This was a very fun record to be a part of. I was fortunate to continue to work with my pianist Ron Johnston, as we chose a different, interesting set of songs for the album, including Ennio Morricone’s Fistfull of Dollars, The Love Theme from Blade Runner by Vangelis, Stevie Wonder’s Creepin’, and the title track of the album, Wes Montgomery’s Bumpin’ On Sunset. A great time was had by all during this recording!

Alto

After several years of not recording, I finally got back into the studio, and was very excited to present the songs in this collection. In particular, John Barry’s theme from the film Body Heat was a real challenge and treat to record. Sonny Criss’s Midnight Mellow was also a wonderful song to include. Special thanks to the guys on the album and to Dan and Yolanda McLeod for their support in the making of this record!

Blue Prelude

Blue Prelude realized a long-held dream of mine: to record a duo album with Ron Johnston. A student told me about a Steinway grand piano from Carnegie Hall that was residing in a local church in Vancouver, so Ron and I went to check it out. Ron immediately fell in love with it and said it was the best piano he had ever heard. Almost like divine intervention, the church opened their doors to us and allowed us to rehearse there once a week for little money. Once we had chosen the tunes for the album we contacted Ken Burke and asked him to do a test recording. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny morning and Ron and I were both feeling great. We put down all the songs in less than an hour and it went so well that I decided to release it as the record. To do an album with Ron was the highlight of my career. We covered many different songs, including two by George Michael, a song by Amy Winehouse, and an old favourite of mine, How About Me, by the great Irving Berlin. Ron’s playing was stunningly beautiful and heartfelt. This album will always hold a special place in my heart.

Contact

To connect with Dylan, please email dcaltosax@gmail.com or text 604-318-1157