Andrew Janak - No Second Guessing (2024)

Dr. Andrew Janak is the Instructor of Jazz Saxophone at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and active saxophonist/composer/arranger/educator throughout the Midwest and Mountain West.

Andrew has shared the stage with jazz greats Randy Brecker, Jeff Hamilton, Phil Woods and Jimmy Heath. Recently he has worked with some of the Midwest’s finest jazz musicians such as Mitch Towne, Marcus Lewis, Peter Schlamb, Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, Bob Lark’s Alumni Band Band and the Tom Matta Big Band. Andrew has several creative projects specializing in original music such as the Andrew Janak Organ Trio, Andrew Janak and Wind Armada and the Andrew Janak Octet. He also has performed/recorded with national acts such as the Temptations, Aloe Blacc, Johnny Mathis, Wayne Brady, Michael Feinstein and Justin Townes Earle. As a classical saxophonist Andrew studied with renowned performer/pedagogue Dr. Paul Haar and performed with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Wind Ensemble, Omaha Symphony, Lincoln Symphony, Lincoln Municipal Band, and various chamber groups.

Also a prolific composer, some of Andrew’s compositions have been performed/recorded by groups around the United States including the UNL Jazz Orchestra with Victor Lewis, DePaul Jazz Ensemble with Randy Brecker, Bob Lark's Alumni Big Band and the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. He premiered his suite for tenor saxophone and mixed chamber jazz ensemble, “Midwestern Portrait,” in spring of 2018, in which Andrew was the featured soloist. He was also a finalist for the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Awards and received a Downbeat Outstanding Performance award for outstanding graduate college arrangement.

Dr. Janak is also an active scholar with research interests in jazz composition, jazz saxophone and jazz improvisation pedagogy. He has presented at the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers (ISJAC) Symposium, Regional North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Conference and the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference. Andrew graduated with a bachelors degree in music education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a masters of music in jazz composition from DePaul University, and a DMA in jazz studies/composition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His debut album Borrowed Time was released in June 2017. Andrew joined the faculty of the University of Northern Colorado in Fall 2021 where he teaches applied jazz saxophone and undergraduate improvisation.