Dan Reckard

Dan Reckard is a Los Angeles based saxophonist, pianist, and composer who graduated from the University of Southern California. Though Dan is a jazz musician first and foremost, he has worked professionally in a variety of music styles, from classical to musical theater to popular music. During his time at USC, Dan grew a love for arranging and directing music. He served as music director for a university-wide event called “From Bebop to Doo-Wop to Hip Hop,” which featured Motown composer, Lamont Dozier, and the late jazz legend, James Moody. He has toured with American Idol's Crystal Bowersox, Crash and the Magnetic Zeros, Jamestown Revival and others.

Reckard also organized a benefit concert in Laguna Beach in May of 2010, called “Green Blues: A Night of Modern Jazz with Dan Reckard,” which featured Reckard’s original compositions for a large jazz ensemble with a string quartet. Reckard also served as the Music Director for the Theme and Entertainment Awards for two years, directing and arranging for band that plays at the annual gala for amusement parks worldwide.

In addition to working regularly as a director, sideman and accompanist, Dan co-leads Bossa Zuzu, a neo-Bossa Nova group that has toured in the US and Japan. Their latest album, Under Leaves Under Sky, was produced by GRAMMY winning jazz legend, Peter Erskine. Dan draws inspiration from Nat King Cole, Lester Young, Jimi Hendrix, Erykah Badu, Chico Buarque, and his talented friends and colleagues in the L.A. music scene.

Dan spent six months in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, where he studied Brazilian music and Portuguese.