Born on August 8, 1974, in Schenectady, NY, jazz saxophonist Brian Patneaude originally played drums in his high-school rock band, the ironically named Fusion. Going from metalhead to jazzer, Patneaude was introduced to the music of David Sanborn and Michael Brecker by his band director and soon began serious jazz studies. Eventually attending the College of St. Rose, Patneaude graduated in 1996 with a degree in music education. Since then, the tenor saxophonist has performed with such varied artists as Alex Torres y Los Reyes Latinos, the Refrigerators, Terry Gordon, George Muscatello, and others as well as pursued a masters degree at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He released his debut album, Variations, with his quartet in 2003. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi