"Sax" Gordon Beadle is a much sought-after blues musician. The hard-driving tenor saxophonist has made appearances as a soloist on albums and tours with such artists as
Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson,
Duke Robillard,
Roomful of Blues,
Matt "Guitar" Murphy,
Jay McShann, and
Jimmy Witherspoon. His flamboyant and emotion-filled style has also contributed to a number of award-winning R&B albums from
Pinetop Perkins,
Billy Boy Arnold,
Champion Jack Dupree,
Charles Brown,
Jimmy "T99" Nelson, and
Rosco Gordon. In addition, he contributed blues solos on stage alongside such artists as
Junior Wells,
Charlie Musselwhite,
James Cotton,
Little Milton,
Ben E. King,
Martha Reeves,
Mighty Sam McClain,
Johnny Johnson, and
Johnny Copeland, among others.
Beadle recorded his own album,
Have Horn Will Travel, in 1998 on the Rounder label Bullseye Blues and Jazz. He followed up with
You Knock Me Out two years later. In 2001, he received a W.C. Handy Award nomination. The Michigan native first started to gather attention with his saxophone in Sacramento, CA. There he played with big bands and other ensembles and combos before recording with
Johnny Heartsman. He relocated to Boston, where he started contributing to numerous recordings.
–
Linda Seida, Rovi