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Hulon Sax

Dr. Goodfoot” is one of those tracks that is just as fun to play as it is to listen to. I'm so glad the palpable energy we felt in the studio translated to the finished recording. I knew we were doing something right when I couldn't help but dance while p... more

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Hulon Sax Today's Marvin Gaye's 74th birthday! Here's a clip of Geoff McBride and I performing "Let's Get It On"!

6:23

Hulon Performs w/ Geoffrey McBride (Part 1)
For more information, go to: www.hulonsax.com, www.myspace.com/hulonsax, or www.facebook.com/hulonsax.
- April 4
Hulon Sax Be sure to tune in tomorrow at 4pm PST/7pm EST for my live radio interview on Jammin Jukebox!

Jazz-Saxaphonist, Hulon 04/05 by Jammin Jukebox Radio Show | Blog Talk Radio

Hulon (Dr. Hulon Crayton) is a smooth jazz saxophonist hailing from Panama City, FL who made his started his jazz career as a member of noted jazz group the On Call Band®. Hulon released his debut release, First Impressions, via Premier Musique Group
- April 4
- Melvin Llord (Admin) digs it.
Rodrigo Sousa is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- February 12
CELIVAL DE JESUS is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- January 18
Angelo Felici is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- January 11
charles x is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- January 11
Charlie Duran is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- December 12, 2012
Oscar Rafael Serrano is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- November 19, 2012
Adrian Ader is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- November 17, 2012
Luis Cabarique is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- November 13, 2012
Hulon Sax added 3 photo(s) to the album New photos!:
- November 9, 2012
- John Pousson digs it.
Hulon Sax wrote a new blog entry:

Sax Machine

Hello everyone,
I have a song called Sax Machine that I feel is soothing and uplifting. I have had fans tell me that they love this song, so I hope (if you are just coming across it for the first time) you will too. You can download it off of iTunes, or ...
- November 9, 2012
- Melvin Llord (Admin) digs it.
Hulon Sax wrote a new blog entry:

Second Opinion

I absolutely love all my music but recently I am seriously loving my song "Second Opinion". Its got such a great happy energy with a funky feel! I love to play it while driving or just when I need a relaxing pick me up! I think you all would r...
- November 2, 2012
Hulon Sax added 3 photo(s) to the album New photos!:
- November 1, 2012
- John Pousson digs it.
Hulon Sax is now friends with Jonathan Castro.
- October 26, 2012
alberto joaquin piazza videla is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- October 6, 2012
Hulon Sax wrote a new blog entry:

My SoundCloud

Did you know you could stream my music for free on my SoundCloud channel? http://soundcloud.com/hulon
- October 5, 2012
Hulon Sax wrote a new blog entry:

Dr. Goodfoot

Dr. Goodfoot” is one of those tracks that is just as fun to play as it is to listen to. I'm so glad the palpable energy we felt in the studio translated to the finished recording. I knew we were doing something right when I couldn't help but dance w...
- October 4, 2012
- Melvin Llord (Admin) digs it.
- John Pousson Nice tune. I dig it!
  
  October 4, 2012
  
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  1 digs it
Hulon Sax wrote a new blog entry:

Words of Wisdom from B.B. King

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” B. B. King
- October 4, 2012
- Melvin Llord (Admin) digs it.
Hulon Sax wrote a new blog entry:

The Voice

Who's your favorite so far on The Voice? I'm still partial toGeoff McBride! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr9IMIzUTKA&feature=plcp
- October 4, 2012
- Elvis Bruno digs it.
Hulon Sax Music is the silent speech that fills each of us with unspoken joy. This picture says it all...
- September 27, 2012
Hulon Sax What do you think?
- September 27, 2012
- John Pousson digs it.
Hulon Sax Doing what I love.. performing!
- September 27, 2012
- John Pousson digs it.
Hulon Sax "Follow Me" is a song that really puts me at ease. It takes you on a journey to find peace from the smooth sax to clear notes of the piano. This song is perfect way to end your day and reflect on your life and enjoy what you have here and now at... more
- September 27, 2012
Baptiste DELEBECQ is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- August 28, 2012
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- August 20, 2012
Alex Foster is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- August 4, 2012
Anderson Marinheiro Silva is now friends with Hulon Sax.
- August 1, 2012
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Hulon Sax
- July 31, 2012
Hulon Sax wrote a new blog entry:

No More Goodbyes

My first album, First Impressions is a dynamic blend of smooth jazz and soulful-funk. The track "No More Goodbyes" is one that stands out to me with its enchanting, smooth melody and relaxing saxophone throughout. The arrangement of the song is captivatin...
- July 30, 2012
- John Pousson digs it.

Personal Information

First Name Hulon
Last Name Sax
Hometown Panama City, FL [map]
Gender Male
Instruments Played Tenor Saxophone
Music Genres Played Jazz

Contact Information

About Me

Biography Truly living up to its provocative title, Hulon’s 2010 independently released debut First Impressions spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Jazz Chart (peaking at #25). Its debut single “Sax on the Beach” reached #16 on the SmoothJazz.com Top 50 Indie Chart and was featured on the noted jazz website AllAboutJazz.com, in addition to receiving national and international airplay at terrestrial and online radio. Collaborating once again with mentor, composer, producer and fellow saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa, the Panama City, Florida based tenor saxman gets even more personal and intimate with his growing audience on his highly anticipated, musically eclectic follow-up After Hours.

World renowned for his years with The Rippingtons, The Sax Pack and numerous hit solo albums over the past 20 years, Kashiwa again brought in some of contemporary jazz’s most powerful and dynamic players to take Hulon’s musical game on the new collection to the next level; Dave Hooper (drums), Allen Hinds (guitar), Melvin Davis (bass) and Bill Heller (keyboards) all played key roles as well on First Impressions.

The new 11 track set includes a vocal and instrumental version of the Heatwave classic “Always and Forever” and eight originals penned by Kashiwa that play to Hulon’s strengths as a soulful balladeer and a grooving R&;B/funk player, with a few dashes of cool and swinging traditional jazz in the mix. Highlights include the sensual late night romance “You’re Beautiful,” the whimsical mid tempo light funk tune “Takin’ My Time,” the tropical chill of “Sticky Trickuation,” the sly, “Pink Panther”-esque “Speak Easy” (featuring shuffling drum, bass and finger snap rhythm) and the high octane horn-driven jam and first single from the new release,“Do You Feel Me.”

Yet there’s lot more to Hulon’s dynamic emergence onto the urban jazz scene than simple chart stats and the support of some of the genre’s best players. At its heart, it’s the story of a musical dream long deferred and unique connections between the spiritual and emotional healing power of music and the physical healing that Dr. Hulon E. Crayton does as a rheumatologist and founder of The Arthritis and Infusion Center, which specializes in the treatment of Rheumatological diseases as well as sports related injuries. The title of one of the tracks on After Hours, the tropical flavored groove tune, “Second Opinion” is a playful ode to his longtime profession.

Over the past few years, Hulon has experienced the unique double blessing of performing for some of his patients, feeling joy and fulfillment as those who once could not even walk actually got up and danced and sang along—all thanks to him! Hulon has been practicing since 1986 and is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and of the American Board of Rheumatology. He has a Master’s in Hospital Administration and has served in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserve, obtaining the rank of Captain. In an effort to give back to the community, Hulon and his wife Dinah created the Crayton Foundation to assist in providing minorities with a feasible way to attain the funding needed to attend college; they have given numerous scholarships to students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare related fields. The foundation gave the first ever scholarship at Florida State University for African American students.

The Milwaukee born and raised Hulon was originally inspired to play the alto sax by his college roommate when he was an undergrad at Lincoln University in Missouri. He taught himself the instrument and it became a favorite hobby for a time, used as recreation and stress relief as Hulon played along to his favorite recordings. He put the horn aside for years as he went to medical school at the University of Wisconsin, started his first practice, got married and began raising a family. Hulon’s interest was rekindled when all three of his children showed an interest in music and served as first chair on their respective instruments in middle school. He had loaned his daughter his old sax and she wouldn’t give it back, so he bought a tenor at a local pawn shop (after moving to Florida) and that became his main voice as he began to pursue music professionally.

He started playing informally with some local musicians (enjoying cigars and martinis along the way) and then was hired to play at a festival by a promoter who heard him performing one Sunday at church; this prompted Hulon to start a band with a fellow doctor friend. Cleverly dubbing themselves On Call, the band began performing at numerous private functions, local Panama City jazz hotspots like the Boatyard, Firefly, Bonefish and large scale affairs at the Grand Panama Hotel. His incredible friendship and musical association with Jeff Kashiwa began when Hulon was in the audience at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival one year when the famed saxman was onstage playing the EWI, or Electronic Woodwind Instrument.

“He started introducing this cool looking instrument and I shouted out from the crowd that I’ve gotta get me one of those,” says Hulon. “Jeff responded from the stage, ‘Not only will I sell this to you, I will also teach you how to play it!’ After the show I met him and asked if he was serious. He gave me his address, I sent him a check and he sold me his EWI. He was down in Orlando with the Rippingtons two months later and I went to see him. He took me up to his hotel room and taught me how to play EWI. At a later gig in Atlanta, he invited me backstage to meet the Rippingtons. We started doing lessons on Skype, and about a year later, Jeff was playing at a fundraiser for the Anchorage Children’s Home, which takes care of disadvantaged youth, and my band opened for him. I was nervous at first but later in the show, when he invited me to play onstage with him and we traded solos while walking parallel up the aisle in the audience, I felt like this was a musical high I could get used to!”

Hulon’s later idea to hire the veteran saxman to compose a jingle for his practice inspired Kashiwa to write an extended version called “Dr. Goodfoot,” which ultimately became the first track they recorded on First Impressions. The title is a nod to James Brown’s classic “Get on the Good Foot.” Once Hulon received the blessing of his wife Dinah and the encouragement of his children, he enlisted Kashiwa to help him develop a full length album project—beginning with four demos that Kashiwa had sent him after “Dr. Goodfoot.” “The experience was surreal,” Hulon says, “as if I were suddenly on this fast track. A few years earlier, I wasn’t even playing the horn, and here I was in a studio recording with a world renowned saxophonist who believed in my potential as an artist. He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.

“Even as he was producing me,” he adds, “he was my teacher and mentor, telling me what I needed to do, helping make me a better player. The cool thing about Jeff is that he always has a goal for me inside his mind. He won’t always tell me what it is, but when I hit it, he tells me and then raising the bar. With constructive criticism, he knows how to get the best out of me. The experience became even more intense as we worked on After Hours. I am feeling more confident about myself as a player and artist than ever and am able to nail a song much faster. The first time we ever recorded, it took me eight hours to do the first song and four days to do three songs. This time we got almost the whole album done in three days—all thanks to Jeff’s encouragement and gentle push at the right times.”

Believing that “versatility is survivability,” Hulon (with Kashiwa’s guidance) breaks the mold of the typical urban jazz output these days by offering a wide variety of styles and grooves behind his rich emotional tenor melodies. That’s not surprising considering the wide variety of genres he listens to on his iPod—from hip hop and country to orchestral and classical music. Yet beyond simply providing musical pleasure to the genre’s adult audiences, he says, “I want to be inspiring to children and a good role model to them the way I have strived to be with my own kids. I’m really enjoying this journey every step of the way. As with medicine, I get great personal joy and satisfaction having people appreciate what I do. My time in the office is devoted to physical healing. But when I’m recording or playing live onstage, that’s when the spiritual healing begins.”