Darren Atkins

Instrument: Tenor Sax

Year Joined the Band: 2001

Favorite Esquires Tune: You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To

Musical Influences: Ben Webster, King Curtis, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Michael Brecker, Vince Trombetta, Lew Tabackin, David Sanborn and more….

Studying / Profession: Senior Account Executive for SCS, Inc., a Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics partner, specializing in providing state-of-the-art business solutions personalized to improve efficiency and productivity: www.scsdynamics.com

Hobbies: Cycling, Reading, Hiking, Doubles (flute, clarinet, other saxes) and I have been known to swing dance on occasion.

A Little Something About You: In my younger days, I was a nationally ranked junior sabre fencer; I have had careers as a house painter and market researcher.

Best Part of Being an Esquire: At age 13, my first music teacher was from the big band era and it was always my dream to play in the screaming horn section of a big band. In the early 80’s, I thought that swing and big band had disappeared from the face of the earth and that the only opportunities in L.A. were smoke-filled and very loud rock clubs where I had occasion to play. When the swing scene revived in the mid-90’s, seeing people swing dancing at The Derby to live music was just too good to be true. Having the opportunity to play and bring to life the awesome music of the Swing Era and to introduce it to the next generations is something that I never thought I would be able to experience this lifetime.