Dave Tofani is one of New York’s most in-demand session musicians and has played on more than 600 albums, performed on two Grammy Award-winning albums last year including Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature.
He’s performed with legendary artists such as Frank Sinatra (L.A. Is My Lady), Barbra Streisand (The Concert and other albums), John Lennon (Double Fantasy), and Simon & Garfunkel (The Concert In Central Park with Tofani playing the stand out saxophone solo on “Still Crazy After All These Years”).
In addition, Tofani has recorded in the studio with a who’s who of top jazz artists such as David Sanborn, Earl Klugh, George Benson, Buddy Rich, Jim Hall, the Dave Matthews Big Band, Art Farmer & Yusef Lateef, Urbie Green & Grover Washington Jr. and John Lucien.
Dave has played in concert with include Hall, Green, Matthews, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Bob James and Thad Jones & Mel Lewis.
He as both recorded and played onstage with Sinatra, Streisand, Simon & Garfunkel, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Tony Bennett and James Taylor. Dave also has recorded with Quincy Jones, Donald Fagen, Paul Simon, James Galway, Diana Ross, Soft Cell, Roger Daltrey, Chaka Kahn and Michael Franks.
In recognition of his consistently outstanding performances on saxophone Dave Tofani is a three-time winner of the prestigious Most Valuable Player Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Dave also had the distinction of being one of the very few players ever to be nominated on five woodwind instruments: Soprano, Alto & Tenor Saxophones, Flute and Clarinet.
Below is a small sampling of Dave Tofani’s work as a New York studio musician with the following distinguished recording artists:
Steely Dan – Two Against Nature – Tenor Saxophone – Grammy Winner – Tenor Saxophone
Steely Dan – Gaucho – Tenor Saxophone
Simon & Garfunkel – The Concert in Central Park – Alto Saxophone Solo (Recording and Video – Cameo Spot)
Donald Fagen – The Night Fly – Alto Saxophone
Donald Fagen – Kamakiriad – Tenor Saxophone & Flute
Frank Sinatra – L.A. is My Lady – Quincy Jones conducting – Tenor Saxophone (CD & Video – The Making of An Album)
Aretha Franklin – Aretha
Natalie Cole –Snowfall on the Sahara
John Lennon – Double Fantasy – Saxophone & Woodwinds
Quincy Jones – Ultimate Collection – Saxophone
Quincy Jones – Sounds…and Stuff Like That – Saxophone
Quincy Jones – Summer In The City – Saxophone
James Brown – Hell
David Sanborn – Songs from the Night Before
Soft Cell – Tainted Love – Featured Clarinet Solo & Say Hello Wave Goodbye & Non Stop Erotic Cabaret
Roger Daltry –Moonlighting: The Anthology – Clarinet
Bette Midler – Thighs and Whispers
Barbra Streisand – The Concert (Recording and Tour) – Alto & Soprano Saxophones, Flute, Picc, Alto Flute & Clarinet
Orpheus Chamber Ensemble – Stravinsky Miniatures/Shadow Dances – Alto Saxophone & Clarinet – Grammy Winner
The New York Philharmonic – Bartok – The Wooden Prince – Tenor & Baritone Saxophones – Pierre Boulez Conducting
Orpheus Chamber Ensemble – Stravinsky Miniatures/Shadow Dances – Alto Saxophone & Clarinet – Grammy Winner
James Galway – Wind Beneath My Wings – On Clarinet
The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble – Spectrum-New American Music – Tenor Saxophone – Arthur Weisberg conducting
Kurt Weil – Three Penny Opera – Seigfried Landau conducting – Tenor Saxophone
Sketches of Miles – Arrangements for Chamber Players & Jazz Soloists/ Byron Olson – Clarinet
Sketches of Coltrane – Byron Olson – Clarinet
Dawn Upshaw – I Wish It So – Tenor Saxophone & Clarinet
Paul McCandless – All the Mornings Bring – Clarinet & Bass Clarinet
West Side Story – Leonard Bernstein – Tenor & Baritone Saxophones – Bernstein Conducting
George Benson – Good King Bad
George Benson & Joe Farrell – Benson & Farrell – Alto Flute – CTI Records
Buddy Rich – Speak No Evil – Alto Saxophone
Buddy Rich – No Jive – Alto Saxophone
Jim Hall & David Matthews Orchestra – Concierto De Aranjuez – Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Alto Flute & Piccolo
Dave Matthews Big Band – Night Flight – Soprano Saxophone & Flute
Dave Matthews Big Band – Round Midnight – Soprano Sax & featured Alto Solo on “Round Midnight”
Art Farmer with Yusef Lateef & Dave Matthews Big Band – Something You Got – Soprano Saxophone & Flute
Urbie Green with Grover Washington, Jr. & Dave Matthews Big Band – Senor Blues – Soprano Saxophone & Flute
Nnenna Freelon – Nneena Freelon
Nnenna Freelon – Heritage
Sinead O’Connor – Am I Not Your Girl? – Lead Alto Saxophone & Flute
Aaron Neville – Nature Boy: The Standards Album
Luther Vandross – Any Love
John Lucien – Rashida – Clarinet – Dave Grusin arranger
Barry Manilow – Barry Manilow – Saxophone & Woodwinds
Lyle Lovett – Smile Tom Wopat – The Still of the Night – featured Tenor Saxophone solo
George Michael – Songs from the Last Century
Bernadette Peters – Bernadette Peters Loves Rogers and Hammerstein
Additional Recordings with:
Ashford & Simpson
Chaka Khan
Lalo Schifrin
Maureen McGovern
Frankie Valli
Marvin Stamm
Marie Osmond