Chris Speed is a tenor saxophonist, clarinetist and composer described as "a dazzling player of exquisite restraint, intelligence, and range” by the Chicago Reader. Born in Seattle in 1967 he studied at New England Conservatory in Boston (B.A. 1990) before moving to New York City where he started working with Tim Berne’s quartet “Bloodcount” amongst other pioneering NYC based ensembles, establishing himself as “one of the principal figures in a dynamic left-of-center jazz/improv scene.” (New York Times) He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, flutist/composer Leah Paul and their daughter Marni.