The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet & Drums started by playing music out of catalogs, until they heard the Kronos Quartet performing an arrangement of "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix.
“And I thought, you know, that’s a string quartet. Wouldn’t it sound even better with a sax quartet?" recalled Amy Denio, the Tiptons' co-leader.
"So I made an arrangement of that, and then slowly but surely, we started developing our own original compositions and arrangements of music that we love.”
The group began writing and playing to the delight of many who’d never encountered such a musical configuration. They dug into grant writing and won a commission from Metro Transit to compose and perform a piece around bus horn sounds. They were also hired to write original music for an episode of a Norwegian television series.
Outside of commissioned works, the Tiptons also spend much of their band time touring and educating.
“We love going into schools and setting that example and saying, 'Look, if you love music, that's all that matters.' And it doesn't matter what gender you are, it doesn't matter what taste, style you like or whatever," Denio said. "We're just really pleased to be setting an example to follow your dream.”
The Tiptons formed in the fall of 1988, after deciding they wanted to play more than just the occasional solo in a jazz or classical setting. The group, which includes Denio, Jessica Lurie, Sue Orfield, Tina Richerson and Robert Kainar, has recorded 14 albums and performed worldwide.
An institution in the Pacific Northwest, the Tiptons take their name from Billy Tipton, a female-born saxophonist and jazz musician who lived their life as a man. Tipton, who lived in Spokane for more than 30 years and died in 1989, inspired the all-saxophone and all-female quartet. With permission from Tipton's family, they adopted the name as a way to honor how Tipton followed their own dream, as a musician and person.
Lurie said that for her, playing saxophone in the Tiptons is more than part of her livelihood — it’s an honor to be part of changing some attitudes regarding whether women should play the often male-associated instrument. She remembers many female players being handed a flute in band class and dissuaded from the saxophone.
The band is on the road this month celebrating Women's History Month. Their latest West Coast tour includes an invitation to share a song or poem for them to improvise around. Expect a live collaboration with a group of tight improvisors who have honed their sound together over many years, yet also create space in their performances for others' stories.
The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet & Drums plays The Royal Room, Friday March 7 at 7:30 p.m.
