Briggan Krauss is another one of many jazz players who began his career in Seattle in the early '90s, only to move to New York City to make a dent on the Downtown scene. Although he also plays baritone sax and clarinet,
Krauss' main instrument is alto sax, and he has developed a totally original sound on it.
Krauss first started making a name for himself in the Seattle-based collective
Babkas, with
Aaron Alexander and
Brad Shepik. He was soon recruited for transplanted New Yorker
Wayne Horvitz's band
Pigpen.
Krauss was still performing with both groups when he moved to New York City in 1995. Once in New York, he became a member of several ongoing projects as well as guesting on a number of recordings. He was in the short-lived
Sun Ra tribute band Myth Science and the Pink Noise Saxophone Quartet, and recorded two albums with
Jerry Granelli's band Badlands and several with the
Satoko Fujii Orchestra. He is also a member of the
Andrea Parkins trio with
Kenny Wollesen, the Resonance Impeders with
Chris Dahlgren and
Jay Rosen, and EZ Pour Spout, who perform avant-jazz covers of rock tunes.
Krauss' main claim to fame is almost certainly being a member of
Steven Bernstein's
Sex Mob. After forming in 1995, word quickly spread about their live shows, resulting in being voted New York City's best band in 2000. He has also released three albums as a leader, all on the Knitting Factory label. The first, Good Kitty, featured a trio with
Chris Speed and
Michael Sarin. 300 followed with a different trio of
Krauss,
Wayne Horvitz, and
Kenny Wollesen. In 1999, he released Descending to End, a solo recording that incorporated elements of electronica with his trademark blowing. ~ Sean Westergaard