Dexter Payne

Reedman Dexter Payne has not been an easy musician to categorize. The Denver, CO-based clarinetist and alto/baritone saxophonist (who has also played harmonica, flute, and percussion on occasion) has played jazz extensively, but he has also played everything from electric blues to folk-rock to world and Latin music. Over the years, Payne's associations have ranged from acoustic country bluesman Barbecue Bob to Brazilian percussionist Thiago de Mello to the late folk-rock/blues singer Judy Roderick (who was Payne's musical partner for 16 years and, sadly, died of a heart attack in 1992 due to complications from diabetes). Payne and Roderick played together in a swing band called the Big Sky Mudflaps in the '70s, and in 1983 they formed an R&B band called Judy Roderick & the Forbears. Payne has also been heard in African pop settings. Payne was born on July 5, 1951, in Denver, CO, where the clarinet became his first instrument. Payne went on to master the alto and baritone saxes as well, and he has been quoted as saying that he was glad he added those saxophones to his arsenal because he has found that "the opportunities for clarinet players in modern music are somewhat limited." Nonetheless, the clarinet has played a prominent role in Payne's musical history -- and whether he was embracing the clarinet or a saxophone, Payne has had a reputation for being very lyrical and melodic. The reedman has a long list of direct or indirect influences; in the jazz realm, they have ranged from clarinetists Artie Shaw, Buddy DeFranco, and Benny Goodman to tenor saxophonists Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, and the seminal Lester "The Prez" Young to alto saxophonists Paul Desmond, Benny Carter, and Johnny Hodges. Meanwhile, on baritone sax, Payne gets a lot of inspiration from Gerry Mulligan....