On a Jazz Night at Soho, in downtown Santa Barbara, one phenomenal player stood out from the rest. Saxophonist Jared Yee’s fluid sound moved across the room, and swept the audience into his spell.

To the untrained ear, he seemed to play in circles around the already first-rate band, although anyone who knows jazz could hear how he let the others shine through behind him. But the caliber of his musicianship and improvisational talents were not lost on anyone.

A week and a half later, Yee held his Selmer Mark Six tenor sax as he grinned shyly at the camera.

He seemed a little awkward being interviewed and photographed but his hands were relaxed and strong holding the horn.

After a few minutes, he slid into comfortable conversation, and the story of a musician came pouring out.

Yee, 19, grew up in Santa Barbara. He began his study of music at the young age of 6, but it was classical piano that first struck a chord.

“I guess I saw someone playing one day and I was like, ‘Mom, can I play that thing?'” Yee said.

Always a supportive mother, Michelle Yee saw to it that her son received his requested lessons. Two years later, he heard his music teacher at Open Alternative School playing the saxophone. And the rest as they say, is history.

His parents continued to make sure that he received music lessons, on both the piano, and the saxophone.

“My parents were very supportive of me,” he said. “Sometimes I’d be like, I don’t know if I can do this, or I don’t know if I can get that, and they’d always keep me going.”

In fact, Yee had more than just his parents, helping him along. He attributes much of his learning process to his first saxophone teacher, Rolando Gingras.

“He was not only a great teacher, but a great friend and mentor,” Yee said.

Yee had his first experience playing at City College during high school, at the school’s six-week summer jazz program, aimed at junior and high school students.

“The kids go through jazz improvisation, big band, music technique, and horn technique,” said James Watson, the department’s full time music lab tech and teaching assistant. “It’s a pretty comprehensive continuation of jazz education during the summer.”

Watson spoke about the Jazz Studies program and what leads students to choose City College over a four-year school.

“There’s a lot of reasons why kids come here undecided. Unlike a four year school, we are generally not a degree factory,” he said. “It’s more about the individual student’s growth. You can save a lot of money, spend some time figuring out what you want to do, get your ears opened up to new possibilities.”

The other advantage to staying at a community college, for musicians, is the amount of attention that they receive over what they would at a crowded university. As underclassmen, music students don’t have many opportunities for soloing, and don’t get much individual attention. Here, they get both.

Right now, Yee is preparing for transfer to one of the country’s top music programs. Over spring break, he is planning on venturing to New York to visit prospective schools like the New School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music.

But for the next year, he will be continuing to play for City College, and the college is more than happy to have him, especially jazz professor James Mooy.

“Jared is an amazing young man,” Mooy said in an email to The Channels. “Very modest, soft spoken and humble; a true gentle giant. However, when he puts the horn to his mouth, look out. He can lull you to sleep or take your head clean off.”

Yee is a talented player, but his soloing is what demands attention. To be able to improvise as quickly and as skillfully as he does, and to make it look so easy, takes hours and hours of practice.

He currently plays in the City College groups, The “A” Combo, Mooy’s Lunch Break Band, and Eric Heidner’s Good Times Band, as well as the local professional group, the Anthony Prietto Band.

Yee found much of his inspiration in jazz from hearing great players.

“My main idol, the guy I absolutely love is Michael Brecker,” he said. “He has a lot of technique, but he also has a great tone. The balance of those two makes him an overall great musician.”

Yee has been at this game for eleven years, working hard the whole time. He even found space for more than just sax.

“I failed to mention that at ten, I kind of played blues guitar a little bit, so in playing guitar, I kind of worked on improvising, and that introduced me to soloing,” he said, grinning a little.

Yee is the kind of modest that can easily shrug off compliments, but when he says thank you, he means it. For such a gifted musician, to be humble is rare.

His techniques for soloing come from his experience as a musician as a whole, and every record he’s listened to.

“I try to grab a little of what each player has done and incorporate that into my own playing, then maybe one day at a gig, that same passage or lick will come out of my horn out of no where,” Yee said.

Yee also gives back to his community, often returning to Santa Barbara High School to help out with the bands there.

Of his professional possibilities, Yee said he is open to playing either with a small combo, a big band, or even having a solo career.

He’s also starting to learn more about writing music, and plans to double major in performance and composition.

“I really love performing, so hopefully, I can be a performer,” Yee said.

His life is ahead of him, and great things are to come. For now, he’s right where he’s wanted, shining for City College, and impressing audiences wherever he plays.