Kyle Cripps

A native of Cape May, NJ, multi-instrumentalist and composer Kyle Cripps is an in-demand musician in the New Orleans area. Kyle maintains an extremely active performance schedule as a solo performer or with bands such as Smoke N Bones, Maid of Orleans, Corporate America. He is also a regular contributor to several active brass bands including One Love Brass Band, Hacienda Brass Band, Orleans Brass Band, Big Fun Brass Band and serves as organist/music director for First Presbyterian Church in Slidell, LA. In the past few years he has become active as a producer and video editor with several music videos to his credit.

Kyle started performing primarily on saxophone throughout his elementary & high school years, earning numerous soloist awards. While in high school, his interests widened outside of the academic world as he composed, produced, recorded, and independently released three albums under the name “Willy Cliffton Band”, including the rock-opera “Elephant Supernova”. Although his formative years focused on sax, he took the time to add keyboards and guitar to his repertoire and performs and records regularly on several instruments.

Kyle’s love of jazz was eventually fostered while attending Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Upon his move to the city, he began to make a name for himself, performing regularly at the area’s top clubs & venues, and was apart of Temple’s award-winning Jazz and Lab Bands.

In 2008, Kyle decided to take his career to the greatest music city in the world, New Orleans.  There he completed his master’s degree at the University of New Orleans on a full-tuition award.  While at UNO, he took the time to co-lead and write several arrangements for the UNO Jazz Orchestra.  He now continues to be an in-demand musician on both saxophone and keyboard.

Over the course of his career, he has shared the stage with DJ Logic, Nickie Glaspie, G Love, Glen David Andrews, Marcia Ball, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Ellis Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, Luis Bonilla, Gerald French, Jason Marsalis, and Gerald Veasley among others. Kyle has also been active as an educator, and was a staff member of the New Orleans Jazz Institute’s inaugural music school program, the Saturday Music School, helping to develop the school’s jazz curriculum for young music students.

You can follow Kyle on Instagram @kylecrippsmusic

Selected Discography:

Mark Levron – The Eastside Playboys (2019) – available here

Titanic Kryvanick – Lemonade Man (2018) – available here

Kyle Sharamitaro – American Standards Vol. 1 (2018) – available here or here or here

One Love Brass Band – Too Big To Fail (2016) – available here or here or here

Smoke N Bones – Amplify (2016) – available here or here or here

One Love Brass Band – Skatober in New Orleans EP (2013) – available here

Jamey St Pierre & The Honeycreepers – self-titled EP (2013) – available here

Neslort – Mystical Scam (2010) – available here

Ernie Vincent & The Top Notes – Louisiana Magic (2013)

Beth Patterson – Hippocampus (2012)

John Autin – Piano Town (2011) – available here

Riley Ethridge Jr – Powder Keg (2010) – available here

Infinien – self-titled LP (2009)

Sebastian & The Pirates – Parlay (2005)

Willy Cliffton Band – Elephant Supernova (2005) – this is out of print 😦

Willy Cliffton Band – Slumber Party (2003) – this is long out of print

Smoot Zero – Above The Garage (2003) – there’s a few of these lying around 🙂