Connell's silky tone, soulful chops, and high energy performance have made him a staple in the New York music scene. Born in California and raised in New Hampshire, he first started playing clarinet in grade school, picking up the saxophone in high school in order to join the jazz band. He moved to New York City (NYC) in 2006, pursuing music and earning his Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Performance at New York University. Since then, he has performed professionally around the city and the world. His renditions of SZA, Rihanna, Drake, and afrobeats artists Runtown and Burna Boy have gained him an enthusiastic following both in the NYC subways and on social media. He has performed worldwide with many eclectic groups and venues including international festivals with Nigerian Afrobeats superstars Wizkid and Fireboy DML, The Blue Note with Motown band Decade of Soul, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC with classical/hip hop fusion group Shouthouse, and The Otis Mountain Festival with his original Balkan party band Tipsy Oxcart.
