Based in New York, tenor saxophonist Stan Killian is currently dividing his time between two major projects. The Stan Killian Quartet performs original music drawing inspiration from the minds of Wayne Shorter, Woody Shaw, McCoy Tyner, and Joe Henderson. He also co-leads Com Você, an ensemble which interprets Brazilian and American modern jazz from bossa nova to MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) and beyond. Reviewers have described his playing as “virtuosic”, “muscular”, and “mellifluous.” Peter Westbrook from Jazz Review writes, “Killian is by no means another Coltrane clone. He has a voice of his own with an almost classical sonority at times.”

Stan has performed around the United States at clubs such as the 55 Bar in New York, Café Metropole in Los Angeles, Bohemian Caverns and Twins in Washington D.C., Temple Bar in Santa Monica, Elbo Room in San Francisco, An Die Musik and The New Haven Lounge in Baltimore, Cezanne in Houston, Elephant Room and Cedar Street in Austin. As a side-musician, he has also performed at various jazz festivals around Europe such as The Montreux Jazz Festival, The Umbria Jazz Festival, The Antibes Jazz Festival and also Texas festivals such as Jazz’s Alive! in San Antonio, the Kemah Jazz Festival in Houston, and the Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi.

Originally from Texas, Stan Killian began his career at age 16, gigging with his father in the San Antonio area. Upon graduating from high school in 1997, he attended Texas State University in San Marcos, where he studied saxophone with John Mills and improvisation with James Polk, former arranger and composer for the Ray Charles Orchestra. Stan began free-lancing in the Austin music scene, performing steadily as a sideman with various local bands. A short time after he turned twenty-one, he recorded his first CD, Straight Ahead which features pianists James Polk and Joe Killian, as well as Austin trumpet legend Martin Banks. After the release of Straight Ahead in 2001, Stan moved to Houston and began performing almost exclusively as a leader. In Houston, he began working with guitarist Clayton Dyess who had extensive experience with Nat Adderly, Dizzie Gillespie, Arnett Cobb and Joe Pass. In 2002, he recorded Deep Down which features legendary Houston drummer G.T Hogan, Joe Killian and James Polk on Hammond organ, as well as Dyess. Stan’s playing during this period, especially his consistent emphasis on tone, reflects his early influences, the full-bodied tenor sounds of Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. Other early influences include Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt and Johnny Griffin, with their endlessly logical bebop lines, soulful blues spirit, and driving swing.

In 2003, Stan and vocalist Maggie Grebowicz formed Com Você. The group’s early vision consisted of an unlikely mix of odd meter bossa novas (arranged by vocalist Grebowicz) and Wayne Shorter tunes. The band performed regular engagements all over Texas in venues such as Cedar Street in Austin, Downing St. Pub in Houston, and Carmen’s del la Calle in San Antonio. Com Você recorded their debut album Candeias in late 2005 and released the album on the French indie label Nocturne. The album features a core group of young Texas talent in Eddy Hobizal on Fender Rhodes, Andy Langham on piano, Hamilton Price on bass, Phil Vieux on bari sax and flute and Kyle Thomspon on drums. Cadence Magazine calls Candeias “a winning debut for an unforgettable team that loves and respects the quaint Brazilian tradition.” In the summer of 2007, in support of the album, Com Você toured the West Coast opening for legendary Brazilian artist Zé Renato.

Currently, in addition to maintaining an active performing and teaching schedule, Stan continues to develop his voice as a composer and saxophonist studying with Larry Willis and Gary Thomas in Baltimore.