"Baird’s mastery of his horn, the beauty of his sound, his seemingly boundless energy and imagination, his architectural skills in constructing his pieces and the honesty of his work all impress. All mark him as an artist to contend with."
-CHIP DEFFAA, jazz critic & author


"Chase Baird is one of the best contemporary saxophonists ever."
-TOM KUBIS, jazz composer & arranger


"Crosscurrent is a positive and beautiful recording from a strong new talent."
-BRUCE LINDSAY, All About Jazz


"[Baird] has a full-frontal sound and brooks no hesitation when spinning lines and phrases... [but] What's remarkable is the clarity and logic of his ideas.  As prolix an improviser as Baird is, there's very little excess in his work... If this is Baird's point of entry, it'll be interesting to trace his trajectory from here."
-KIRK SILSBEE, Downbeat Magazine


"Chase is somebody that is going to be one of the major players over next few decades."
-JOHN GREENSPAN, Santa Fe Public Radio


"Baird’s talent lies in his ability to go from a quiet, deliberate tone-where he plays in between the lines of his fellow musicians- to a more urgent sound, as he builds himself into volcanic expressiveness."
-RALPH MIRIELLO, Notes on Jazz 


"... an especially promising saxophonist and composer ..."
-DAVID WIEGAND, San Francisco Chronicle


"... Crosscurrent is extremely impressive. Baird has done his homework."
-BILL BROWNLEE, There Stands the Glass


"Chase Baird is one of the freshest and most exiting young players to come along in a long while. He's got firm roots and understanding of the past and a bold spirit of adventure for the future. We will be hearing much from him in the years to come."
-ALAN BRAUFMAN, saxophonist


"Chase Baird and his musicians are jazz’s future..."
-TIM TAYLOR, Audiophile Audition


"... if you listen to Baird playing Bob Haggart's old standard-of-standards "What's New?," you can hear that Baird is neither kidding nor exaggerating about being influenced by the flamboyant Argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri...  A hugely impressive debut..."
-JEFF SIMON, Buffalo News

CD review: Chase Baird, 'Crosscurrent'
-David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle  (September 2010)

"Chase Baird is another young jazz player who cut his teeth in the Bay Area and is emerging as an especially promising saxophonist and composer, as evidenced by his debut CD, "Crosscurrent." Baird's musical generosity is such that his recent CD release concert at the Jazz School was almost as much about music by pianist Julian Waterfall Pollack as it was about his own nine-cut disc of mostly original compositions, which, like the introspective "Lunessence" and blistering "Crosscurrent," show off not only Baird's dazzling mastery of the sax but also a thematic fascination with metaphysical exploration. Of the two standards on the album..."

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CD Review: Crosscurrent | Chase Baird
-Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz (October 2010)

"Crosscurrent is 22 year-old tenor saxophonist/composer Chase Baird's debut as a leader. These are the basic facts, but they fail to convey anything meaningful about the music to be found here. Crosscurrent doesn't sound like a debut album: Baird's sax playing doesn't sound like it comes from a 22 year-old. This is a beautifully assured recording, full of lovely ensemble playing and creative solos from Baird—who attracted the attention and support of Michael Brecker when Baird was aged just 14—and his talented fellow musicians."

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Meet Saxophone Prodigy Chase Baird
-Alisha Self, The Park Record  (August 2010)

"Chase Baird found out who the Beatles were during his junior year in high school. He didn't know what Nirvana sounded like until last January. While his knowledge of musical icons may seem unusual for a 22-year-old, he is purely a product of his environment. "I came to music from such an odd perspective," he says. "I was embarrassed about it at first, but I've had to own that." An accomplished jazz saxophonist, Baird recently released his debut CD, "Crosscurrent," with a group of other musicians. He currently lives in Park City and is scheduled to perform at the Park Silly Sunday Market on Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. Baird was born in Seattle and exposed to creative musicianship at an early age. His father was a trumpet player who dabbled in rock bands and owned an eclectic collection of instruments. "He was kind of the miscellaneous musician," he says. The family moved..."

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