"American saxophonist/composer Jason Rigby has this spontaneous capacity to adapt his way of playing to different styles and moods. He is a shape-shifter whose musical approach is a synonym for consistency regardless if he's playing in small groups such as the quartet of Mike Baggetta and Mark Guiliana, or large ensembles like the Alan Ferber Big Band. Rigby leads with resolve, evincing an outgoing posture, compositional bravura, and laudable flair for exploration.
- London Jazz News

Saxophonist and improviser Jason Rigby has created a compelling voice - one that is renowned worldwide - by embracing individuality and a creative direction driven by a focus on quality, patience, and a constant search for new artistic expression. His Zen-like attitude towards art and life inspire his artistic style, which critics claim "brings a fresh, creative spirit to the forum, opening the door to a world in need of musical rejuvenation."    

Having performed as both leader and collaborator at many of the world's top venues, Rigby appears on several critically-acclaimed recordings, several of which have been GRAMMY nominated.

Rigby's work as saxophonist and new composer includes projects leading a variety of ensembles with analog synthesizer, woodwinds, and cello quartet. Rigby has performed his own music with some of the world's top improvisers including Billy Hart, Tom Rainey, Rudy Royston, Thomas Morgan, Kermit Driscoll, Russ Lossing, Mike Baggetta, and Russ Johnson.

For the past several years Rigby has toured and recorded with Mark Guiliana's Jazz Quartet, Space Heroes, and BEAT Music. He has also performed as bandmember with Aretha Franklin, veteran jazz bassist Cameron Brown, award-winning composer/arranger/pianist Mike Holober, improvising trumpeter Dave Ballou, bassist Michael Formanek, drummer George Schuller, bassist Eivind Opsvik, and pianist Kris Davis. His considerable contributions to large ensembles include performances with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Miho Hazama, Alan Ferber, David Binney, Darcy James Argue, Asuka Kakaitani, and Arturo O'Farrill.

An avid pedagogue, Jason Rigby shares his excitement and vision with young artists through a student-focused method. He strives to push each student beyond their boundaries in search of unique means of expression by exploring various musical styles and genres and across disciplines.  As assistant professor of Music  at Towson University, Rigby deftly balances his output as a pedagogue along with touring the world with the aforementioned ensembles.

Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet
"The Sound of Listening"
(Edition Records, 2022)
Mark Guiliana - drums, electronics
Shai Maestro - piano
Chris Morrissey - bass

Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet
"Jersey"
(Motema Records)
Mark Guiliana - drums
Fabian Almazan - piano
Chris Morrissey - bass

Mike Baggetta
"Source Material"
(Fresh Sound Records)
Mike Baggetta - guitar
Eivind Opsvik - bass
George Schuller - drums

"The warmth of Rigby's tone and the rigor of his ideas come across even in the stormiest free blowing."
- David R. Adler, Stereophile

"Rigby's burly tone and searching improvisations recall the expressionistic flights of Ornette Coleman and Joe Henderson."
- John Murph, DownBeat

"Rigby flirts with the same stratospheric heights Wayne Shorter explored with Miles."
- J Hunter, AllAboutJazz

"The young saxophonist's 'Translucent Space' gave jitters a good name. The antsy music had enough grace to assuage its attack. That's a best of both world's deal."

"...the saxophonist's quintet sustains a daunting finesse while swinging full tilt on the new 'The Sage'."
- Jim Macnie, The Village Voice

"He blends styles artfully and gives them a tangent and direction that are out of the ordinary and, in doing so, he brings in a perspective that is as exciting as it is satisfying."

"Jason Rigby is a bold adventurous composer and saxophonist."
- Jerry D'Souza, AllAboutJazz

"'Translucent Space' (Fresh Sound-New Talent) the new album by saxophonist and bass clarinetist Jason Rigby, doesn't come by its name casually; it's an album of airy, often diaphonous music, with faint echoes of early fusion and Third Stream."
- Nate Chinen, The New York Times

"Rigby can display a brilliant virtuosity & flexibility while handling some very complex harmonic lines & intervals."

"Bordering on classic mainstream jazz with a touch of viable avante garde' Jason Rigby plus group takes us on a harmonic/melodic sojourn that is nothing short of spectacular."
- George W. Carroll, The Musician's Ombudsman

"A robust tenor/soprano stylist in the classic Post-War mold of John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter, Rigby also embraces the harmonically unfettered lyricism of Ornette Coleman. An improviser with a composer's mindset, his concise, linear statements extrapolate the formal constraints of a tune rather than just running the changes."
- Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz

"Rigby brings a fresh, creative spirit to the forum, opening the door to a world in need of musical rejuvenation."
- Jim Santella, Jazz Improv Magazine

"Compositionally, [Rigby] recalls Gil Evans - both focused and all-embracing, and Paul Motian - spacious and Impressionistic."
- Mark Keresman, JazzReview.com

"An arresting debut from multi-reedman Rigby...as a composer and arranger his originality is even more striking...he's created a distinctive, if eclectic, synthesis of Wayne Shorter and Ornette Coleman, with echoes of Paul Motian's trio...One to watch."
- Ray Comiskey, The Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

"Rigby is strong and confident, but he also allows risk-taking, moving comfortably out of the mainstream into freer territories. Given thsi stellar debut, it will be quite interesting to see where Rigby's musical ventures will lead next."
- Mark F. Turner, AllAboutJazz

"...the strength of 'Translucent Space' lies in its coherence, intellect and accessibility - making it one of the year's most remarkable debuts."
- John Kelman, AllAboutJazz

Winter Jazz Fest: National Sawdust

Bar Bayeaux

Winona Lake Jazz Festival