Teen Saxophonist From Livingston Earns Grand Prize In Jazz Competition

LIVINGSTON, NJ — An up-and-coming tenor saxophone player from Livingston recently earned a grand prize in the 2026 Gerry Mulligan Jazz Challenge, sponsored by The Gerry and Franca Mulligan Foundation.

Jay Thatte, 16, began playing music when he was 6-years-old. Thatte was exposed to jazz when he entered the sixth grade at Newark Academy in Livingston, and has excelled in the artform since then, AllAboutJazz.com reported.

Now entering his junior year in high school, Thatte was one of two grand prize winners in this year’s competition, turning in a sizzling solo performance video of Mulligan's “Outback of the Barn.”

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