Steve Cole's Special Day

Happy birthday today [Aug. 17] to saxophonist Steve Cole. Born in Chicago, Cole embraced music early – maybe because his father was also a musician. He began on the clarinet, then switched to the sax in high school. Although he began studying music in college, he wound up with a degree in economics and later, an MBA from the Univ. of Chicago . He’s since built an impressive career, bridging both the contemporary jazz and the orchestral worlds. His latest album, Moonlight, involves a full string section. Cole also finds time to teach the next generation of artists, as a visiting professor of music/business at several Midwestern colleges.