BIO

Fred Lipsius was the original saxophonist, arranger and conductor with the groundbreaking jazz/rock group “Blood, Sweat & Tears” (1967 to 1971). He also doubled on keyboards. While in the band, he won nine Gold Records, a Grammy Award for arranging the hit song “Spinning Wheel”, plus a Grammy for ‘Best Album of the Year”. He also arranged and co-arranged, respectively, the hit singles “Hi-De-Ho” and “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”. Fred brought the “jazz” element to the public with his sax and piano solos and arrangements. In both the Downbeat and Playboy jazz polls he placed in the top ten of the alto sax category. Rock and Roll history books credit him as the first saxophonist to mix jazz and rock styles in his solos.

Fred has composed, arranged and produced radio and TV commercials, including 2 CBS TV logos - themes introducing the season‘s upcoming shows. In the spring of 1982, he toured in Japan and Europe with Simon and Garfunkel and was a featured soloist. Fred has authored seven books /CDs on jazz improvisation and reading, published worldwide. He has performed with jazz greats Cannonball Adderley, Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, Eddie Gomez, Al Foster, George Mraz, Rodney Jones, Randy Brecker and many others and has written music for, and performed on, over 30 CDs as both a leader and sideman.

Born in the Bronx, New York City on November 19, 1943, Fred began playing the clarinet at age 9, alto and tenor saxophones in Junior High School, and piano at Music and Art High School in Manhattan. He continued his studies at Berklee School of Music (1961-62) and then toured throughout the USA, Canada and Europe with impressionist/singer Billy Fellows. He also played alto sax and wrote big band dance arrangements in the Canadian-based Ron Metcalfe Orchestra. Back in New York City, Fred gigged around town, studied arranging with Larry Wilcox and others, and led his own rehearsal Big Band. After his four and a half years with BS&T, he played in big bands at the Copa Cabana and The Red Parrot (disco club), subbed on tenor sax in the Broadway show “Grease” and played some jingles (commercials). In 1988 and 1989 he wrote a series of 11 articles on Creative Improvisation for the Saxophone Journal. In 1993, Fred wrote the horn charts and played in the horn section for popular Japanese singer, Masaki Ueda’s CD. In 1999, he wrote arrangements, played sax and piano on drummer friend, Jack Scarangella’s CD, “The Hero In Us All”. Fred has also been a featured soloist on various CDs for guitarist Gerry Beaudoin and trumpeter Peter Welker. In the winters of 1993 and 1994, he joined forces with Al Kooper for weekend reunion gigs at the “Bottom Line” in New York City with former Blood, Sweat & Tears members and other notable musicians. In 1998, Fred was asked to be a special guest performer (playing solo sax) at the first EAT’M (Emerging Artists & Talent in Music) Convention in Las Vegas. Over the years, he has led bands as well as played gigs around Boston with a number of jazz notables. Since 2004, he has given over 100 performances at nursing homes, mental hospitals and senior citizens homes around Boston.

Fred’s recent projects include new music, original computer art, and his book, “The Tree With Many Colors”, which contains insights about the giving and receiving of love... the purpose of life.

In 2020, Fred retired from Berklee College of Music in Boston after teaching full-time for 35 years.

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Click here to read an excerpt from Fred's book: "The Tree With Many Colors".
Click here to Purchase the book.