Musicians known for circular breathing

Musicians known for circular breathing

This is a skill required for the playing of certain INSTRUMENTS. The list is therefore of musicians who are exceptional because of this skill not obligatory in their field.

  • Sharon Bezaly – classical flautist
  • Anthony Braxton – American saxophonist and composer
  • Paul Butterfield – American Classic Rock Harmonica Player
  • Harry Carney, baritone saxophonist and clarinetist, prominent member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra
  • James Carter – American jazz musician
  • Stuart Dempster – trombonist, didjeridu player, improvisor, and composer
  • Amy Dickson – saxophonist from Australia
  • Bora Dugic – Serbian flautist and composer
  • Maynard Ferguson – jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player and educator.
  • Martin Fröst – Swedish clarinetist
  • Kenny G – American smooth jazz saxophonist
  • Daniel Goode – avant-garde clarinetist
  • Stephen Kent – didgeridoo
  • Rahsaan Roland Kirk – jazz multi-instrumentalist
  • Femi Kuti – Nigerian foremost Afrobeat saxophonist, trumpeter, singer and human rights advocate during his concerts and while setting the record for longest note played on the saxophone
  • Wynton Marsalis – American jazz and classical trumpeter
  • Irvin Mayfield – Grammy Award-nominated jazz trumpeter, composer and cultural ambassador to New Orleans
  • Rafael Méndez – Mexican virtuoso solo trumpeter
  • Roscoe Mitchell – jazz multi-instrumentalist
  • David Murray – plays tenor saxophone and, on occasion, bass clarinet
  • Sergei Nakariakov – classical trumpeter
  • Sam Newsome – American jazz soprano saxophonist
  • Evan Parker – free improvising saxophonist noted for his lengthy circular breathing excursions on soprano and tenor saxophones
  • Jonah Parzen-Johnson – baritone saxophonist and composer.
  • Lenny Pickett – American jazz multi-instrumentalist, tenor saxophonist and musical director for the Saturday Night Live Band, former member of Tower of Power
  • Courtney Pine – jazz saxophonist e.g. on "Modern Day Jazz Stories" album.
  • Sonny Rollins – American jazz musician
  • Ned Rothenberg – multi-instrumentalist
  • Eugene Rousseau – classical saxophonist
  • Xavier Rudd – modern one-man band
  • Colin Stetson – saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist
  • Trombone Shorty (Troy Andrews) – trombonist and trumpeter
  • Theodosii Spassov – Bulgarian kaval performer and composer
  • Idrees Sulieman – jazz trumpeter e.g. on "Hawk Flies High" album.
  • John Surman – jazz multiinstrumentalist, mostly on saxes and clarinets, on "Cloud Line Blue" and other albums.
  • Clark Terry – jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player and educator. Author of Clark Terry's System of Circular Breathing (1976).
  • David S. Ware – American jazz musician
  • John Zorn – American avant-garde composer, arranger, producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist.