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Log InBring On the Sax!
- Lehi, UT
- Saxophone Player
- Travels up to 90 miles
- No gig too small
Overview
I'll bring the smooth, soulful saxophone vibes to your next party, corporate event, wedding, or any occasion where a sax would be amazing (basically everywhere!). I specialize in solo performances (with backing tracks on high-quality sound gear), perfect for creating an incredibly cool atmosphere for any social gathering or event, large or small. Whether I'm jamming in jazz groups or big bands, or laying down iconic sax solos as a member of Utah’s top Yacht Rock band, Made For Midnight, I'm all about groove, versatility, and creativity. From jazz to pop, rock, R&B or classical—improvisation and professional tone are my specialties. Let’s make your event unforgettable! Bring On the Sax!
7 Reviews
Jeff is an incredible sax player who added an extra special touch to our event. Jeff came prepared with a great variety of songs that brought an awesome vibe. He was so easy to work with and was willing to cater his songs to whatever we type of music we wanted. Jeff's pricing is more than fair... a great price for a very talented musician. You can't go wrong with Bring on the Sax!
Saxophone Player
Response from Bring On the Sax!:
Thank you! It was a real treat to play for your corporate event, and you and your team were so great to work with! Appreciate all you did to take care of my setup and needs. You all threw a really nice event and hard to beat the views at Alta Snowpine Lodge! Thanks again for trusting me to bring on the sax :)
WOW! Jeff was so entertaining. People of all ages loved him. He played a lot of music that people knew and could dance and sing along with. We would 100 percent hire him to play again at future events. He was very easy to work with and a professional. Thank you Jeff! You are awesome!
Saxophone Player
Response from Bring On the Sax!:
Jen, thanks for having me perform for Taylorsville's Starry Nights. The open air and upbeat pop sax I thought turned to be such a great vibe - I had a really great time playing this event. What an amazing park and venue the city has created. I hope to be a part of the fun in next year's Starry Nights as well!
Jeff was amazing, he elevated our wedding ceremony! He is very professional and responsive! He did a fantastic job!!!
Saxophone Player
Response from Bring On the Sax!:
Laura, thank you so much for this review. It was such an honor and pleasure to play for you and Raj as you walked down the aisle, and to entertain guests before and after the reception. Thank you for you having me as part of your special day! All the best :)
Jeff played at wedding and his performance elevated our day! He plays beautifully. He was very responsive and professional! All my guests loved how he played the saxophone 🎷!! Thank u Jeff!!!!
Saxophone Player
Response from Bring On the Sax!:
Laura, thank you so much for this review. It was such an honor and pleasure to play for you and Raj as you walked down the aisle, and to entertain guests before and after the reception. Thank you for you having me as part of your special day! All the best :)
Jeff was so great! He made our event so much better. He was on time. His song selection was great. He was respectful and everyone enjoyed him. Would love to have him back.
Saxophone Player
Response from Bring On the Sax!:
Thanks Kalie! The event was so much fun, and I had a really great time playing and entertaining.
Less than a week before my wedding I was scrambling to find a saxophone player and reached out on gig salad to see if anyone was available. In less than an hour I was notified that Jeff was and we booked him the next day!! My whole wedding vision came to life with his classic music during the mocktail hour and when he played our first dance along with my father daughter dance. I highly recommend gig salad for all your needs in booking entertainment. They took care of all the payments and scheduling and made my end so seamless.
Jeff is also so kind and AMAZING musician! I keep getting compliments about how good the music sounded. He took the time out of his day to also learn some new pieces I needed for our wedding entrances and was so detailed in our phone call prior to the event. He was on time and made my whole wedding a dream! Highly recommend him!
Saxophone Player
Response from Bring On the Sax!:
Thank you Melissa (and Daniel)! Your wedding was stunning - what a pleasure it was to be a part of the entertainment. I had a ton of fun on this one. Wish you all the best in your happy new marriage.
Photos from this event
Jeff was easy to work with, very responsive and gladly accommodated our requests. His music was enjoyed by all and it elevated our party to another level. I would recommend him to anyone wanting a saxophonist for their event! Thanks so much Jeff for a great evening and for extending the time you played for us!
Saxophone Player
Response from Bring On the Sax!:
Kristy, thanks for your review! Your family is awesome, and it was such a pleasure to be a little part of the celebration!
Booking Info
Price Range: No gig too small
Gig Length: 60 - 360 minutes
Languages: English
What to Expect
Expect a pro-quality saxophone performance. If you know your saxophones, you'll appreciate the decades I've spent developing excellent tone, technique, and improvisational ability across any genre. I can do jazz (of course), but I also regularly play and perform hits across pop, R&B, funk, motown, blues, motown, oldies, or anything in between. I also perform in a classical saxophone quartet.
Basically, you should expect whatever you ask me to provide, and that I'll do it with a high degree of professionalism, polish and pure talent. All you need to do is Bring On the Sax!
About
Hi! My name is Jeff Carlsen, and I've been playing the sax since childhood. I now have three children of my own, and I'm helping them acquire the love of creating music. My career is in finance and accounting, but I'm a saxophonist at my core.
As a solo saxophonist, I've entertained crowds for weddings, corporate events (for example, LiveView Technologies, Wavetronix, Quotient Technologies), private parties and block parties. I've also performed on stages for summer concerts across Utah and Salt Lake Valleys (examples: Rock the Mountain in Lehi, Springville Art Festival, and Taylorsville Starry Nights). As a soloist, I play every genre from pop, rock, motown, R&B, jazz, broadway and more. I also do sax studio recording work for hire.
Aside from my solo work, I can be found across Utah performing in the following groups:
- Made For Midnight - Utah's Hottest Yacht Rock band (@madeformidnightutah on Instagram), performing sax (and auxiliary percussion) on stages for thousands each year.
- Wasatch Show Band - lead tenor sax and manager
- CB Jazz - lead alto sax
- Young Saxophone Quartet
- Jazz quartets (sax with piano/bass/drums) for private events
Throughout high school and part of college (until getting deeply into my Accounting major) I performed in award-winning ensembles, with frequent individual recognition as an Outstanding Soloist at some of the biggest high school and college jazz festivals on the west coast. Other accolades (this is going back a ways - lol) include being selected as the top Baritone Saxophonist in Washington State for the All-State Jazz Band; First Place award in the tenor/bari sax division in Eastern Washington Classical Solo Competition; Third Place in the tenor/baritone sax division of All Washington State Classical Solo Competition; and selection as my high school's Louis Armstrong Jazz Award recipient - given to a single outstanding student jazz musician each year.
I've studied privately with some of the best saxophonists in Washington and Utah, and I'm on a continual journey to increase my expressive capability as a musician.
So, Bring On the Sax! You'll find a complete professional ready to bring an incredibly cool vibe to your next event.
Thanks,
Jeff
Additional Booking Notes
If I'm doing a solo gig, I'll bring my own high-quality PA, mic and gear. I just need electrical outlet. If no power is available, that's ok, I have some battery-powered gear as well. For larger stages and band performances, I can arrange sound if not provided by the venue.
Services Offered
Upcoming Booked Events
| June 21, 2025 • 7:00pm - 9:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| September 06, 2025 • 7:30pm - 8:00pm | Wedding Reception |
Past Booked Events
| October 23, 2024 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Corporate Event |
| July 26, 2024 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| May 17, 2024 • 4:30pm - 7:00pm | Festival |
| August 18, 2023 • 6:00pm - 10:00pm | Private Party w/ Wasatch Show Band |
| August 11, 2023 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Rock the Mountain at Traverse Mountain Outlets |
| August 02, 2023 • 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| July 09, 2023 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Lehi Concerts in the Park (Wasatch Show Band) |
| July 08, 2023 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Rock the Mountain at Traverse Mountain Outlets |
| June 10, 2023 • 1:00pm - 3:00pm | Saratoga Springs Concert in the Park |
| May 27, 2023 • 5:00pm - 8:00pm | Birthday Party |
| April 29, 2023 • 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Wedding Reception |
Set List
I'll play whatever you'd like. As a solo saxophonist performer, I typically will play sax over high-quality backing tracks for hundreds of popular tunes from every genre. I carefully select backing tracks so that the quality is the same as listening to the famous songs (often the actual recorded instrumental from hit releases without vocals). My sound gear is very high quality in order to ensure great sound and as much amplification as needed for any given event.
The list of songs is too long to include in this section of Gig Salad. Available upon request for potential clients, I have a list of over a thousand tunes that I've performed and/or prepared with backing tracks.
Influences & Inspiration
I consider myself a multi-genre saxophonist—the sax is my voice, and it’s incredibly versatile in any musical context. I have countless influences from across the musical spectrum. As a saxophonist, I've naturally studied heavily from the music of the jazz greats. But, if you were to peek into my Spotify playlists to see what I listen to, you'd find a little of everything from jazz (traditional, smooth, modern), pop, R&B, rock, country, hip-hop, Broadway, classical, and everything else in-between.
My influences range from sax giants such as John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Charlie Parker, to more modern saxophonists like Eric Marienthal, Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Kenny Garrett, and so many others. But, beyond jazz, I also listen to the great R&B and Pop vocalists. You'll find me listening to Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Adele, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, etc. I listen to how they express their music vocally and I try to apply those nuances to my sax-driven interpretations.
I'm a constant student of music, including doing online study courses from Chase Baird, Ben Wendel, and Bob Reynolds. I've had many top private teachers over the years, including David Halliday, John Petrucelli, Andrew Larsen, Gary Edighoffer, Dennis Carey and Dick Hubbard.
Setup Requirements
I typically bring my own sound gear. I only need access to a power outlet nearby.