“Malin Carta continuously exhibits the talent, dedication, conviction and pursuit of excellence critical for success as a musician and artist. Her leadership abilities and strength of character are immediately recognizable. I am truly excited to watch her career take off and am proud to be associated with her.” -Jimmy Greene

 

Malin Carta is a saxophonist, woodwind doubler, vocalist, and composer based in CT. 

 

A recent graduate of Western Connecticut State University (Magna Cum Laude, GPA 3.8), Malin holds her Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance where she studied under the direction of Grammy-nominated saxophonist Jimmy Greene. She is a graduate of Glastonbury High School’s award-winning music program and currently resides in Danbury, CT. 

 

Malin is a member of the CT-based alternative band Lavender Social Club and regularly performs with big bands as well as her own self-lead trios and quartets. Big bands that Carta has played with include the Hartford Jazz Orchestra, the New London Big Band, the Elm City Big Band, and the Berkshire Jazz Orchestra. During her four years at WestConn, she played lead alto saxophone in the WCSU’s Jazz Orchestra and Frankensax, lead by Jimmy Greene, Jamie Begian, and Andrew Beals; first chair in the Wind Ensemble, lead by Dr. Luis Fernando Jiménez; and soprano saxophone in her Saxophone Quartet, lead by Dave Noland. She has over a decade of experience playing in small groups, starting with her time at Litchfield Jazz Camp with combo instructors Kris Allen and Mike DiRubbo and all throughout her undergraduate program with musicians Chris Morrison, Lee Metcalf, Jeff Siegel, Dave Ruffels, and Jimmy Greene. While playing in these groups she has had the opportunity to share the stage with masters such as Sean Jones, Josh Evans, Ron Carter, and Geoffrey Keezer. Malin has also collaborated with Hartford-based bassist Nat Reeves; she was a part of the group he put together for First Night Hartford’s Hartford Bonanza in July 2022.

 

Malin is also making her way as a solo artist on piano and voice, writing her own music and taking inspiration from legendary song-writers Carole King and Stevie Wonder. In July of 2022, she opened for vocalist and singer/songwriter Sasha Dobson at Cafe Nine, playing a set of original music. 

 

Carta’s latest release of A Beautiful Storm (2021) features a more personal side of Malin and her music and includes all original compositions that she sings, plays saxophone and piano on. She also appears on two tracks on Dina DiMarco, Mike Gaboardi, and Niles Spaulding’s joint album Swingin’ on a Sleigh (2020), “Christmastime is Here” and “Everybody’s Waitin’ For (The Man With A Bag)” on saxophone and voice. Both works are available for purchase and streaming on platforms such as Bandcamp, iTunes, Apple Music, and Spotify.

 

Malin has been featured as a guest on Jim Motavalli’s segment on WPKN, where she discussed her self-released EP A Beautiful Storm (2021). Her original song “Sleeping Song” was played on WPKN 89.5, as well as her recordings of standards “Four” and “Stars Fell On Alabama”. Lavender Social Club has been featured as part of Factory Underground Studio’s Live Session on their radio station WFUT Radio.

 

Notable venues that Malin has performed at include the Soapbox Gallery (Brooklyn, NY), Space Ballroom (Hamden, CT), Fairfield Theatre Company (Fairfield, CT), The Buttonwood Tree (Middletown, CT), the Cellar on Treadwell (Hamden, CT), the State House (New Haven, CT), Cafe Nine (New Haven, CT), Three Sheets (New Haven, CT), Aquila’s Nest & Vineyards (Newtown, CT), Parkville Market (Hartford, CT) and Black Rock Social House (Bridgeport, CT). 

 

Malin’s work as a band leader has involved leading her own quartet that has performed at venues such as The Best Darn Jazz Club in Danbury, CT, Three Sheets in New Haven, CT, Black Rock Social House in Bridgeport, CT, and restaurants and private events throughout the tri-state area. She has had the opportunity to perform original compositions with her group including “Malin’s Tune” and “Looking Ahead” in the Veronica Hagman Concert Hall at WCSU’s Visual and Performing Arts Center.

 

Some other notable opportunities Malin has had includes being the Treasurer and then President of WCSU’s Jazz Club where she lead student jam sessions at school, communicated with guest artists, created a resource page of educational tools and listening suggestions, and kept up with other club responsibilities. She has been an active member of the Women in Jazz Organization (WIJO), as a mentee and as an intern for the non-profit organization. She participated in the Mentorship Program for three years, where she met and worked with musicians Karolina Strassmayer, Alexa Tarantino, Sharel Cassity, Roxy Coss, and Emily Pecoraro. As an intern, she worked under the direction of board members Allegra Levy, Roxy Coss, and Tahira Clayton. Carta was involved in a project and collaboration with the WCSU Art Department and the Jazz Department called ‘“Covering Blue Note”, a collaborative multi-disciplinary project, performance and exhibition simultaneously combining live music, a multi-photographer photo session and multiple graphic design stations’. Malin’s most recent pit orchestra experience includes playing the Tenor Saxophone book for “Rocky Horror Show” with Summer Orlando Productions at Waterbury ARC in Waterbury, CT (October 2022) and the Woodwind II book for “La Cage Aux Folles” at Arts at Angeloria’s LLC in Southington, CT (June 2022). Past pit experience includes playing for summer productions for Glastonbury High School and Glastonbury Youth and Family Services - there she has played in “Sound of Music”, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, “Big: The Musical”, and “Bye Bye Birdie”. 

 

Malin has a wide range of teaching experience starting when she was in high school and would visit her local middle school, Gideon Welles School, biweekly to not only run sectionals with the saxophone students in the jazz band, but also to conduct in their Spring Concert in May 2016. She has had a private studio of woodwind and piano students since 2017 and began counseling for summer music camps the same year. She has been an instructor at Bearclaw Music Academy in New Milford, Southbury Music Studio, Summit Studios in Manchester, Bach to Rock in Ridgefield, and Music & Arts in East Hartford and has taught early childhood music classes, private lessons, group bands, lessons, and camps ranging from ages 18 months to adults.

 

Malin is currently Greenwich Country Day School’s instrumental instructor/jazz band teacher and the Wind Ensemble conductor for the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra (WCYO) located in Ridgefield, CT. Malin’s past teaching positions have included both group and private music classes at Bearclaw’s Academy of Music, Southbury Music Studio, Summit Music Center of Manchester, Music & Arts of East Hartford, and Bach to Rock of Ridgefield. Being an accomplished woodwind performer, studying both classical and jazz repertoire, and performing in both small and large ensembles makes Malin an extremely versatile director with knowledge and experience in many different areas. Malin values a curiosity for learning, compassion, empathy, and stepping outside of one's comfort zone to grow.