Antoine Roney’s name should be everywhere, yet it isn’t. His playing is superlative. He’s truly one of the living masters on the saxophone. Anyone who is serious about this music knows who he is. He’s played with the masters and he is one. Yet one rarely sees his name mentioned or discussed in the press. At least not to the level that a player of his magnitude should be discussed. Antoine got some buzz earlier this year for his Winter Jazz Fest performance, alongside his amazing 9 year old son Kojo who is no doubt destined for great things on the drums or whatever else he chooses to do. With a father like Antoine and an uncle like Wallace Roney, Kojo is being brought up in an environment rich in culture, tradition and heritage. It definitely shows.

I remember having a spirited conversation with an acquaintance about who gets coverage and who doesn’t. My acquaintance kept raving about Chris Potter. I later sent him some video clips of Antoine. Suffice to say, he now raves about Antoine Roney. That says it all, doesn’t it?

Here is a recent shot of Antoine performing an intimate set at Zinc Bar.