“Ali is a scintillatingly charming woman. She converses easily with the audience, tells stories, regales us with jokes as easily as she communicates with her partner Joe when they play. You can tell she is completely comfortable in her own skin, she is a diva in the best sense of the word, as in, she has a larger-than-life quality ingrained in every move she makes. She is modest, non-pretentious; but she draws you in with her smile, totally entrances you with her laugh, and wins you over for life with her playing. There is no vanity in the way she carries herself or a desire to be flashy, extravagant, create an impression...
With a career spanning five decades, jazz flutist Ali Ryerson consistently ranks among the top flutists in the prestigious Downbeat Jazz Poll. Ryerson is an international touring and recording artist, with performances throughout North and South America, Europe, Japan, Africa, and New Zealand, ranging from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center, Monterey Jazz Festival to the Cork Jazz Festival, the famed Blue Note jazz club in New York and Japan to Ronnie Scott’s in London, plus numerous festival and club appearances worldwide. Ryerson has released over two dozen albums on major jazz labels, including Concord Records, DMP, Capri, and legendary jazz producer Bob Thiele’s, Red Baron label. Ryerson’s groundbreaking Jazz Flute Big Band album, “Game Changer” on Capri Records, hit the ‘TOP 10’ on the US Jazz Charts for six straight weeks. Ryerson has also recorded a number of albums on European labels, including those with longtime colleague, Belgian pianist/composer, Charles Loos.
Ryerson has worked with jazz greats such as Kenny Werner, Joe Beck, Mike Mainieri, Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Stephane Grappelli, Frank Wess, Red Rodney, and as guest soloist with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. As a classical artist, Ryerson has performed with Julius Baker, Anthony Newman, and, while principal flutist with the Monterey Bay Symphony, with Luciano Pavarotti.
As an educator, Ryerson published her widely acclaimed book, the Jazz Flute Practice Method, conducts master classes worldwide, and teaches an online series for Lessonface. As a composer, her flute music is published by Presser, Edition Kossack, and ACR Music. Her works for flute, ranging from solo to large ensemble pieces, are performed by various artists and ensembles internationally.
Ryerson has served as Jazz Chair and Low Flutes Chair for the National Flute Association, was the founder of the NFA Jazz Flute Big Band, and is Program Chair for the 2023 NFA convention in Phoenix, Arizona. Ms. Ryerson is a Gemeinhardt Artist with an Autograph Series of flutes.
