Billy Kerr

Brooklyn born and raised on Long Island, he completed his studies at the Juilliard School of Music and Queens College receiving a BA in music. His major studies were with Augustin Duques (clarinet), Joseph Allard (clarinet and saxophone) and Thomas Nyfenger (flute). His studies in composition and arranging began at Queens College with John Carisi and continued over the years with Don Sebesky, Manny Album, Jim McNeely, Roger Kellaway, and Vince Mendoza.

After a four-year stint in the Air Force Band, Billy established a busy career recording for television, films and commercials and gained extensive experience in the Broadway musical theatre.

Billy has performed with a variety of artists covering every musical style. Most notably, they include Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, Peter Allen, Henry Mancini, Julie Andrews, Sammy Davis Jr., and Mel Torme.

He has also performed with jazz artists such as Phil Woods, Bob Mintzer, Bob Brookmeyer, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Big Band and The National Jazz Ensemble. Performances with the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble and the Brooklyn Philharmonic under distinguished conductors like Gunther Schuller and Lukas Foss show yet another facet of his abilities.

As tenor saxophonist with the New York Saxophone Quartet, Billy has performed in Europe, Japan, Canada, and throughout the United States. In addition to concert performances, the Quartet has appeared on The Tonight Show and has participated in many teaching clinics. The group recorded several albums, all of which spotlight Billy’s skills as a soloist and writer.

As a composer and arranger, Billy has written for every type of ensemble, from duets to big band. For four years he was a member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, which concentrated primarily on the art of composing for big band. His original saxophone quartet, “Send In the New Boy,” was premiered at the Tenth World Saxophone Congress in Italy in 1992. This piece, and several other quartet and octet arrangements written by Billy, are published with UNC Jazz Press. His popular saxophone duet, “Conversation for Two Baritones,” is self-published.

In 1995 Billy moved to Montreal, where he continued to work in theatre, record for the National Film Board and CBC, as well as lead his own jazz quintet. He performed with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, playing clarinet and a variety of saxophone solos. Billy was the soprano saxophonist in the “Phenix” saxophone quartet, which included his wife, baritone saxophonist Nancy Newman.

In 2000, Billy moved to Los Angeles, where he received his Masters Degree from the University of Southern California. He remained active in LA, appearing in concerts and recordings with the likes of Steve Huffsteter, Kim Richmond, Lennie Niehaus, Clare Fischer, Bill Holman, Buddy Childers, and Bob Florence. In 2005, Billy was a featured soloist at Festival Jazz en Lima, Peru. While there, he played lead alto with Maria Schneider, and led his own quartet in a series of concerts.

Starting in November 2013, Billy took over as the coordinator of the Jazz Flute Big Band for the National Flute Association.

In addition to his busy performing schedule, Billy wrote CD reviews for Saxophone Journal and the online magazine, Saxophone Today. In the world of education, he has served on the faculties of the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA, Glendale Community College in Glendale, CA, and Shepherd University in Los Angeles. Billy can be heard on his CD, "The Eagle has Landed….eh?", from the Productions Bilanci label, and as a soloist on Alternate Routes with the New York Neophonic Orchestra, on the Tantara label.

He may also be heard as a soloist and arranger on Game Changer with The Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Big Band, The New York Saxophone Quartet, on the Stash label, Free Trade with the Gerald Danovitch Saxophone Quartet, on the CBC Jazzimage label, and Kentucky Roastup with The Osland Saxophone Quartet on the Sea Breeze label.

In December, 2017, Billy, Nancy and Ko Ko the “Jazz Pooch,” moved to St. Lazare, a beautiful country suburb of Montreal, Canada.

Billy is a performing artist for Pearl Flutes and Vandoren reeds.

To learn more about Billy Kerr, visit billykerr.com