Fred Lipsius

Fred Lipsius (born 19 November 1943, The Bronx, New York, U.S.) was an original saxophonist and arranger for the jazz-rock band, Blood, Sweat and Tears, for which he played alto saxophone and piano. He was with the band from 1967 to 1971.

Before Blood, Sweat and Tears, Lipsius played with the Ronn Metcalfe Orchestra.

Lipsius now teaches at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

FRED'S LATEST NEWS

- October 17, 2009 - Fred just finished mastering his newest CD, Only Love Exists.

- Ocbober 15, 2009 - Fred was featured on a sax solo with Blood, Sweat and Tears on 10/15/09 at the Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA.

- October 13, 2009 - Fred has a new YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/LipsiusVideo

FRED'S BIO

Fred Lipsius was the original saxophonist, arranger and conductor with Blood, Sweat & Tears from 1967 to 1971. He also doubled on keyboards. While with the band, he won nine Gold Records plus a Grammy Award for his arrangement of "Spinning Wheel." Fred also arranged and co-arranged, respectively, the hit singles "Hi-De-Ho" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy". He brought the 'jazz' element to the band and the public in his sax and piano solos and his arrangements. In both the Downbeat and Playboy jazz polls he placed in the top ten of the alto sax category. Rock and Roll history books credit him as the first saxophonist to mix jazz and rock styles in his solos. Fred has composed, arranged and produced radio and TV commercials, including 2 CBS TV logos- themes introducing the season's upcoming shows. In the spring of 1982, he toured in Japan and Europe with Simon and Garfunkle and was a featured soloist.

Fred has authored six books/CDs on jazz improvisation and jazz reading, published throughout the world. He has performed with jazz greats Cannonball Adderley, Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, Eddie Gomez, Al Foster, George Mraz, Larry Willis, Randy Brecker, Rodney Jones and many others. He has written music for and performed on over 30 CDs as both a leader and sideman. Fred is currently an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he's been teaching full-time since 1984.

Born in the Bronx, New York City on November 19, 1943, Fred began playing the clarinet at age 9, alto and tenor saxophones in Junior High School, and the piano at Music and Art High School in Manhattan. He continued his studies at Berklee School of Music (1961-62).

Since 2004, he has given over 100 performances at nursing homes, mental hospitals and senior citizens homes around Boston, playing mostly light jazz on saxophone and piano, and sharing stories of his life with the residents. Fred continues to keep his creativity alive and flowing with such things as his recent digital art website www.FredLipsiusArt.com which features a number of his works for sale.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT AT FREDLIPSIUSART.COM

For quite a long time, I've been feeling a need to share my artwork with others... It's been pouring through me in such abundance over the last 4 years - about 4,000 pieces. It's hard for me to believe... I'm in awe of it. Not just the amount, but more so the experience, which brought with it lots of learning and growth. It's all been such a gift. The whole process filled me with a child-like sense of wonder, and continues to this day to be one big, fun-filled adventure.

Often, with a new piece I was creating, I would have this anticipation and confident feeling that I was about to receive another gift , which was actually, the art itself. Not just the art, but something much greater which was contained 'within' the art. Unlike drawing or painting a flower, animal or person, etc; much of my artwork I 'improvised', without having a clear/specific image in mind of the completed creation. I simply trusted, surrendered, and knew, intuitively, that something good and worthwhile would be given to me. Always! Because I held to this approach, I had a tremendous feeling of freedom.

Producing this artwork has been a wonderful, creative awakening for me! It's been a whole new way of experiencing creativity apart from the way I've known as a musician during my life. Not just my creativity, but experiencing the way the hand of God works in someone's life, using what they have, what they are, what they do, love, know and don't know, what they never thought they could accomplish, and especially, using what they are going through at particular times in their life - joy, pain or whatever else.

For me, it all comes down to LOVE - opening your heart and allowing your talents to be used for what Divine Spirit is directing and desires you to do, for your own good as well as the good of all life! That way, everyone receives the benefits, in ways we don't even know. For all of this and more, I'm very grateful.

FRED HAS AN ART AGENT

Fred has a non-exclusive contract with Boston art agent Suzanne Schultz: www.canvasfinearts.com

Beginning in May '09, Fred began showing his artworks at galleries in the Boston area. As an added feature to the event, he has played solo sax.

MUSIC AT FREDLIPSIUS.COM

Fred's other website www.FredLipsius.com contains snippets of his musical performances on CDs, a photo gallery, various stories (including "My Arrangement for Spinning Wheel" with a video) and much more….

FRED'S LATEST BOOK/CD

"Playing Through the Blues", published by Advance Music in Germany, is an intermediate-level reading book with an accompanying CD (12 Listening Tracks; 12 Play-Along Tracks).

The blues lines and riffs are very melodic, fun to play, in comfortable keys and tempos and in various styles/feels.

The book/CD is available in 8 different instrumental versions - alto sax, tenor sax, trumpet, trombone, flute, clarinet, guitar and violin.

External links

• Fred Lipsius' Art Gallery website
• Fred Lipsius' Music website

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