ABOUT NORA
Nora Stanley is a Bay Area-based saxophonist and composer. Born in San Francisco and raised in Berkeley, she grew up in a musical family surrounded by a variety of sonic influences. She attended Berkeley High School and participated in conglomerate programs such as SFJAZZ High School All-Stars and Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of SF before moving to Ohio to study with Gary Bartz, Eddie Henderson and Billy Hart among others at Oberlin College and Conservatory where she received a B.M. in Jazz Studies and a B.A. in Latin American Studies.
Nora currently plays and teaches around the Bay Area, leading her own bands and playing on others’ projects. Active bands include East of Eden Trio (Owen Clapp, Matt Buckner, Nora Stanley), BANKSHOT (Kasey Knudsen, Ben Goldberg, Andrew Stephens, Nora Stanley), The Nora Stanley Quintet and The Noel Jewkes Septet. She has shared the stage with such greats as Ambrose Akinmusire, Gary Bartz, Dayna Stephens, Eddie Palmieri and Chucho Valdes and performed at Monterey Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ and internationally in Spain, Cuba and Brazil.