Ed Calle

Born in Caracas of Spanish parents, Miami-based saxophonist Ed Calle owes his musical career to his father's love of music. When Calle and his family moved to America in 1966, his father suggested that Calle take some music classes. Calle picked tenor saxophone and took to it quickly, soon spending nearly all his free time practicing.

As a student at the University of Miami, Calle decided that music was his calling, and received a master's degree in jazz performance. Even before he left school, however, Calle played with artists like Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, and toured with performers such as Julio Iglesias and Bob James. Calle has also worked as a sideman for Arturo Sandoval, Jon Secada, Vanessa Williams, and Frank Sinatra, as well as contributing to television and movie soundtracks.

Along with his Latin roots, Calle's playing style is influenced by his love of mathematics—he also holds a bachelor's degree in math from Florida International University. Calle shares his technical background and heritage with the elementary school children he lectures as a traveling music teacher. His solo albums Nightgames (1986), Double Talk (1996), and Sunset Harbor (1999) also reflect his prowess and passion as a musician. The new millennium saw the release of Twilight (2001) on Concord Jazz.