The Tiptons are an all-female ‘world soul’ saxophone quartet with drums!
Named in honor of Billy Tipton, a woman who lived as a man in order to pursue a career in music, this unique ensemble similarly follows its own path. Their unique repertoire features a blend of jazz, blues and world music along with their own unique compositions, and every concert is infused with joy, virtuosity and playfulness.
Their genre-busting sound ranges from Micro-Big Band to Gospel, Bluegrass to Balkan, Whimsical Chamber Jazz, Nocturnal Funk to Free Jazz Improvisation on saxophones, clarinet, drums and percussion ~ and voice.
For the last thirty years, the Tiptons Sax Quartet have played concerts worldwide, taught creative music workshops to all ages and skill levels, and enjoyed rich collaborations with other artists on multi-media projects.
Listen to their vivacious music on BANDCAMP!
• Amy Denio: Alto Sax, Clarinet, Voice
• Jessica Lurie: Soprano, Alto & Tenor Sax, Voice
• Sue Orfield: Tenor Sax, Voice
• Tina Richerson: Baritone Sax, Voice
• Robert Kainar: Drums, Percussion
MARCH 2026 Spring Tour Dates
- Sat 21 Feb: ITALY: Mestre (VE) ~ Hotel Bologna
- Sun 22 Feb: ITALY: Lecco (LC) ~ Circolo Libero Pensiero
- Mon 23 Feb: ITALY: Prato (PR) ~ Teatro Metastasio
- Wed 25 Feb: GERMANY: Pohrsdorf (bei Tharand bei Dresden) ~ Saxstall
- Thurs 26 Feb: GERMANY: Chemnitz
- Sat 28 Feb: GERMANY: Landshut ~ Die Zentrale zum Riebelwirt
- Tues 3 Mar: CROATIA: Zagreb ~ Workshop & Concert at Mocvara
CONTACT US for booking! Amy Denio amydenio@gmail.com or Jessica Lurie ~ zipamusic@gmail.com
COMING SOON! TIPTONS SAX QUARTET LIVE (download and vinyl!)
In March, 2025 we performed on radio broadcasts, taught creative music workshops and played ten beautiful venues up and down the US West Coast.
Our live concert in Portland, Oregon was recorded by Drew Canulette ~ and coming out soon on Bandcamp and 12-inch vinyl!!
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RECENT ACTIVITIES: TIPTONS SAX QUARTET SPRING WEST COAST TOUR ~ March 6 – 23, 2025: 10 concerts, radio broadcasts and creative music workshops up and down the West Coast. Since it was International Women’s Month, We invited audience members to come up and share stories of their experiences as women, then created new music on the spot based on each story. That collection of spontaneous pieces will be coming out soon!
RECENT ACTIVITIES: TIPTONS SAX QUARTET SPRING WEST COAST TOUR ~ Feb. 24 – March 12, 2023:13 concerts and creative music workshops up and down the West Coast. Check out Amy’s short video, shot and edited from the comfort of their rental van, while crossing the snowy pass into California. Phenomenal musician and composer Xavier Lecouturier joined the ensemble on drums for this tour.
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Mujer o Bruja? (Tiptons/Correo Aereo/Jing ‘Jude’ Dai) premiered at the Earshot Jazz Festival In October 2021 and received generous support from SouthArts, Earshot Jazz Festival and Nonsequitur to create this provocative and beautiful multi-media work, a glimpse into the role of women in culture from Paleolithic times through the present, through the lens of Latin-American culture and revisionist archaeologist Riane Eisler (The Chalice and the Blade).
Enjoy our 14th album Wabi Sabi on bandcamp!
“ … some of the most lusciously irreverent music in jazz … They are deviously entertaining … one catchy, harmonically rich number after another, drawing on styles from Romany brass to Soca to dixieland and many points in between. ~ The New York Music Daily
Our fabulous 14th recording Wabi Sabi features eleven new compositions for saxophones, voice and drums. This powerful collection of new music illustrates beauty in our chaotic world. It’s inspired by the Japanese philosophy “Wabi Sabi” which encourages us to “find beauty and take pleasure in the imperfect”. Compositions by all of the members of the band that explore modern field hollers, the hum of tires on the Autobahn, tricks for the mind, a yodeling deconstruction, popping funk for December’s doldrums, upbeat grooves for bad people with good intentions, this music delivers pure joy! Wabi Sabi will galvanize your senses and take you on a vivid journey through unforgettable soundscapes.