Kevin Sun

Tenor saxophonist Kevin Sun quickly established himself as a notable figure in New York’s jazz scene of the late 2010s and 2020s, carefully studying the genre’s tradition and bringing it into the 21st century with both academic curiosity and an exploratory spirit. A graduate from Harvard, Sun established his own Endectomorph label in 2016 and put his elastic tenor sound in various contexts while working with a close-knit group of collaborators. Apart from co-leading the groups Great on Paper, Mute, and Earprint, Sun has worked extensively with his trio featuring bassist Walter Stinson and drummer Matt Honor, who were featured on albums such as his solo debut Trio (2018), its follow-up (Un)seaworthy (2020), and the live album The Fate of the Tenor (2024). He has also led other groups with a stable of recurring musicians including pianist Christian Li, drummer Dayeon Seok, and trumpeter Adam O'Farrill, recording albums like the Charlie Parker tribute <3 Bird (2021) and the ambitious double album The Depths of Memory (2023). Born in 1991, Kevin Sun played the piano before finding his instrument, the tenor saxophone, and becoming more serious about music as a teenager. He played in the jazz band and the marching band at Montgomery High School, taking saxophone lessons with Felipe Salles at the Manhattan School of Music and becoming a full-time member of the Princeton University Jazz Program, where he was repeatedly featured as soloist. From 2010 to 2014, he studied English at Harvard University, graduating summa cum laude with a collection of essays on jazz and improvisation entitled “‘Making the Hang’ and Other Essays on Being,” which won the Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize. He continued his studies at the New England Conservatory, where he graduated with a Master of Music in Jazz Performance in 2015. During his college years, Sun also honed his skills as a writer, becoming the Associate Magazine Editor of the Harvard Crimson and blogging for the Jazz Gallery. In early 2016, Sun established his own label Endectomorph, which served not only as a home for his own projects, but eventually also released albums by collaborators and friends like pianist Dana Saul, saxophonist Jacob Shulman, or pianist Hayoung Lyou. Sun’s first recordings were albums by his groups GOP/Great on Paper (a quartet with pianist Isaac Wilson, bassist Simón Willson, and drummer Robin Baytas) and Earprint (a quartet with Willson, drummer Dor Herskovits, and trumpet player Tree Palmedo), both of which demonstrated Sun’s interest in finding a bridge between jazz tradition and a more modern, playful approach. His first trio album, with bassist Walter Stinson and drummer Matt Honor, was released in 2018. In 2019, Sun recorded another album with Earprint, Easy Listening, while launching yet another project called Mute, a quartet with pianist Christian Li, bassist Jeong Lim Yang, and drummer Dayeon Seok which was more focused on ensemble work than solos. He also released another record as a leader, a complex long-form double album called The Sustain of Memory, featuring work by two different rhythm sections, Stinson/Honor and Willson/Seok, as well as pianist Dana Saul and trumpeter Adam O'Farrill. Stinson and Honor were also heard on his next trio record (Un)seaworthy (2020), and on the Charlie Parker tribute album <3 Bird (2021), which also featured guitarist Max Light as well as Li and O'Farrill. Sun’s next recordings deepened the collaboration with his various lineups: he recorded the double album sequel The Depths of Memory (2023), showcased his trio’s comfortable musical communication on his first live recording The Fate of the Tenor (2024), and released a second album with his group Mute titled After You’ve Gone (2024). ~ Christian Genzel