Saxophonist and composer Eric Crystal has been a mainstay of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene more than 25 years. An immensely innovative, versatile and melodic improviser, Crystal has been an integral part of the Boz Scaggs touring band since 2002. Playing soprano, alto, tenor and baritone sax, Crystal also plays keyboards, melodica, and acoustic and electric guitar. He has been featured on the legendary musician’s latest release Fool To Care which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues charts, as well as Scaggs’ two collections of standards - Speak Low and But Beautiful - Standards Volume 1.



Earlier in his career, Crystal was named one of the top 10 Rising Star Soprano Saxophone players in the renowned Downbeat Annual Critics Poll. Highly in demand as both a live and studio musician, he has been featured on numerous recordings and at festivals and music venues throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.  

 

In addition to Boz Scaggs, Crystal has performed or recorded with Michael McDonald, Huey Lewis, Toto, The Temptations, Four Tops, Kenny Loggins, Allen Toussaint, Zigaboo Modeliste, Darlene Love, Bob Weir, Pancho Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval, Ray Obiedo, Omar Sosa, Clark Terry, Michael Wolff, Mike Clark, Vijay Iyer, Liberty Ellman, Jazz Mafia, Dumstaphunk, Scott Amendola, Joel Harrison, Mark Levine, Kitty Margolis, Regina Carter, Charlie Hunter, Alphabet Soup, Steve Smith, and Paul McCandless.

 

As a leader, Crystal has also created his own critically-acclaimed projects. After co-founding the improvising collective FRAME, he released his solo album, Dark Matter, on Red Giant Records.  For over 10 years, Crystal was a musician, composer and musical director for the Obie and Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe. He attended Berklee College of Music.