Personal Statement

Jazz saxophonist/composer Jacob Chung’s dynamic, blues-rooted commitment to swing has charmed audiences in his hometown Toronto and in New York City, where he is currently based. Having established himself as one of the most exciting players in Toronto, he relocated to NYC in 2022 to study with Vincent Herring at Manhattan School of Music. Herring’s mentorship and advocacy for Jacob’s talent led to the recording of Jacob’s sophomore album in December 2023 for the Cellar Music Group label, featuring both Herring and drummer Joe Farnsworth. In the summer of 2023, Jacob performed twice at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and at the Burlington Jazz Festival (VT) as a member of the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. Since moving to NYC, Jacob has also performed with Peter Washington, the Mingus Big Band, and the Erena Terakubo Septet. The Jacob Chung Quintet’s 2022 debut album Epistle was received with critical acclaim for its embodiment of the spirit of jazz; “A bunch of swingers that know the history without the baggage, they zip the ears open with a delightful sound that uplifts while it makes you smile” (Chris Spector, Midwest Record). Jacob’s aesthetic direction has drawn comparison to that of the 1990s neo-bop renaissance. Will Chernoff (Rhythm Changes) writes that “Jacob and the band are part of a full-on second generation of Young Lions,” a sentiment expanded upon by Jamie Lee Rake (Shepherd Express): “What they are about is connecting the dots between the sophisticated heat of jazz royalty such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie with a post-bop drive.” The Jacob Chung Quintet has played at several major Toronto venues and festivals including The Rex Hotel, The Jazz Bistro, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, TD Markham Jazz Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival. While in Toronto, Jacob garnered several Canadian accolades including the 2021 Hnatyshyn Foundation Oscar Peterson Grant and the 2019 Prince Edward County Jazz Festival Rising Young Star Award. He is featured on Jacob Wutzke’s 2019 EP Stop & Go and Thomas Steele 10tet’s 2020 album 10tet. He also appears on the University of Toronto Jazz Orchestra’s 2020 album Embargo. A budding educator, Jacob served as an assistant faculty member at Interprovincial Music Camp in 2019, directed the 2019/20 Hart House Jazz Combo under the supervision of Ernesto Cervini at the University of Toronto, and maintains private lesson studio at Classical Music Conservatory in Toronto.

Jacob C. Subjects

Saxophone