About Fred

Fred has performed with the likes of Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Sheila Jordan and Clark Terry, who said, “You won‘t find a more capable jazz player and teacher than Fred Haas, and that‘s a fact!” Thomas Herrick, former publisher of Downbeat said, “Fred Haas is a consummate musician with a brilliant chordal sense and great execution…he has a definite identifiable style of his own.” Pat Metheny called Fred “a totally world-class saxophone player.”

Since 1996 Fred has taught jazz history, sax, jazz piano, music theory and jazz combos at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Fred also taught for several years at Middlebury College and the Vermont Jazz Center. He has conducted workshops at many regional high schools and at UNH.

Interplay Jazz & Arts, a non-profit educational organization founded by Haas in 1996 provides opportunities for musicians of all ages to participate in a holistic, relaxed, supportive and fun learning environment with an experienced faculty that focuses on key aspects of the improvisational art of jazz. Yoga, meditation and natural foods are an integral part of Interplay’s unique approach to teaching jazz. Interplay Jazz & Arts sponsors workshops, performances and jam sessions throughout the year.

Fred has produced several CDs for his own JazzToons label, including Interplay, I Thought About You, Strike Up The Band and Friends. Telling Stories, is a collection of original compositions featuring Haas on sax and piano with Gene Bertoncini on guitar and Michael Moore on bass. Dr. Judith Schlesinger wrote, “Haas is a talented composer who writes from the heart. He’s thoroughly accomplished on both sax and piano, playing with subtlety and taste. Bertoncini and Moore are in top form – it’s an elegant, expressive threesome. This is real jazz, with style, substance and soul – highly recommended!”

“Fred communicates…he consistently displays not merely a knowledge of his craft, but a sincere dedication to sharing those ideas and ideals with others. As a musician, he is an intelligent and fiery improviser, a harmonic wizard: one who plays music, not just the saxophone (or piano), and all with warmth, wit, and sincerity.” (Peter Bodge – Jazz Historian)