EyeShotJazz | Jazz Photography

The savvy south Sound saxophonist has shaped lessons from Seattle masters like Don Lanphere, Hadley Caliman, and Julian Priester into solid, hard-grooving jazz. Kandi’s fat tone, reminiscent of the great Dexter Gordon, is a perfect fit for Delvon Lamarr’s soulful B3 organ.

Growing up in the Northwest, with its vibrant music scene, allowed Kandi the opportunity to study with, listen to and perform with world class jazz artists residing in the area. Artists such as Tracy Knoop, Jay Thomas, Don Lanphere, Bill Ramsay, Hadley Caliman, Julian Priester and many others had a large impact on Kandi early in his musical education. This direction and guidance continues to inspire and lead him as he continues his lifelong passion.

Today, Kandi spends most of his time leading his Kareem Kandi Band, for which he composes and arranges most of the music. The band is constantly on the move as a sought after performing group and spends most of its time performing in and around the Pacific Northwest. When not leading his own group, Kandi can be seen and heard performing as a sideman with many other top-notch musical acts and projects, most notably The Paperboys from Vancouver, BC.

As an educator, Kandi divides his time teaching jazz improvisation as an artist-in-residence at the Tacoma School of the Arts, directing the award-winning student jazz ensemble at Pierce College, conducting masterclasses and workshops at schools around the Puget Sound area, and maintaining a full load of private students.