Michael Cox, Saxophone

Saxophonist Michael Cox was born on November 27, 1960 in Denison, Texas. At age four, he and his family moved to Lawton, Oklahoma. Michael's older brother, Danny, was a touring musician who inspired the young boy to take up music. By age seven, Michael began messing around with the drums and keyboards in his brother's practice room. At age 12, he joined the sixth grade concert band, playing the saxophone. He had his first gig at age 14, when he joined his brother's band, Sofistiphunk. His moniker in the band: “Kid Cox."

In high school, Michael also began to play the clarinet and flute. While playing in the marching band, he met his future wife, Rosemary, who played the flute and oboe. Michael graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1979 and attended college at Cameron University in Lawton with Rosemary. After graduating with a B.A. in Music Performance in 1983, Michael married Rosemary.

The newlyweds moved to Wichita, Kansas, where Michael attended grad school, performed with the Steve Story Band, a popular regional band, and worked in a music store, teaching and repairing instruments. He received his Master of Music degree in 1986 and moved to Denver, Colorado. He began studies for his Doctor of Arts Degree at the University of Northern Colorado (which he received in 1996) and worked as a first-call musician for MST Entertainment and the Lou Fischer Big Band.

In January, 1990, Michael met CJO drummer and Capital University professor Bob Breithaupt at the annual IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) convention. Bob had told him of a position opening at Capital University. That spring, Michael interviewed for the position of professor of saxophone. After recieving the appointment Michael moved to Columbus. The same year, after meeting fellow professor Ray Eubanks, Michael started playing with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra.

Michael's favorite moments with the orchestra have been the recordings and European tours. He says of the group: “I have some personal favorites among the special guest artists we've had, but really, every concert is an event to remember."

Besides the CJO, Michael currently performs in Brasileira, Powerhouse Trio, Science Gravy Orchestra, Andy Woodson Band and Madrugada. When not performing music, he enjoys car racing, scuba diving, watercolor painting, and traveling with his wife Rosemary, who works in Human Resources for the Huntington Bank Corporation.