Professor Lington wrote half of the arrangements on the record and played sax on all the tracks (Chad Ziemendorf photo).
A Spartan has won a Grammy! Baritone saxophonist, composer and Professor Aaron Lington is a member of the Pacific Mambo Orchestra, a 19-piece Big Band whose debut release was nominated for Best Tropical Latin Album.
That placed PMO alongside the likes of Marc Anthony, who was nominated for a Grammy in the same category.
Professor Lington beat out a number of very famous artists and his band’s album was the only independent entry in this category,” said Chair of the Department of Music and Dance Joseph Frank. “This is a real victory for our own phenomenal artist.”
Lington was proud just to be nominated.
“I am so unbelievably excited and proud of PMO for beating the odds and making it into the running with some of the best in the biz,” Lington said on his website. “I am very personally proud of the album as having been one of its primary composers. I wrote half of the compositions or arrangements on the record, as well as having played baritone sax on all the tracks.”
SJSU offers a bachelor’s in jazz studies, providing students with the opportunity to learn from top educators and performers.