Ebban Dorsey, alto saxophonist and a senior in Jazz Studies, grew up in Baltimore surrounded by music. With her brother Ephraim Dorsey, also a Jazz Studies senior who plays tenor saxophone and is her number-one musical collaborator, she has been integral to the city’s jazz scene since they were both in elementary school. She learned to play at legendary Baltimore saxophonist Carl Grubbs’ summer music camp, studied at Peabody Preparatory from age 9 to 14, then attended high school at Baltimore School for the Arts.
She has shared the stage with jazz greats from Kamasi Washington to Herbie Hancock and was discovered—via a short Instagram clip featuring her and Ephraim playing with Washington—by acclaimed jazz vocalist José James when she was only 17. She has since recorded with James and toured with him all over the world. When it was time to pursue her undergraduate training, Peabody Conservatory was her first and only choice, she says. And by the time she arrived in the fall of 2022, she knew the Jazz faculty so well she felt as if she were coming home.
Ebban Dorsey, alto saxophonist and a senior in Jazz Studies, grew up in Baltimore surrounded by music. With her brother Ephraim Dorsey, also a Jazz Studies senior who plays tenor saxophone and is her number-one musical collaborator, she has been integral to the city’s jazz scene since they were both in elementary school. She learned to play at legendary Baltimore saxophonist Carl Grubbs’ summer music camp, studied at Peabody Preparatory from age 9 to 14, then attended high school at Baltimore School for the Arts.
She has shared the stage with jazz greats from Kamasi Washington to Herbie Hancock and was discovered—via a short Instagram clip featuring her and Ephraim playing with Washington—by acclaimed jazz vocalist José James when she was only 17. She has since recorded with James and toured with him all over the world. When it was time to pursue her undergraduate training, Peabody Conservatory was her first and only choice, she says. And by the time she arrived in the fall of 2022, she knew the Jazz faculty so well she felt as if she were coming home.
Who were you listening to, growing up, that had the most impact?
My brother and I started hanging out at all the Baltimore jazz venues when we were very young, so a lot of local artists, including Tim Green, who is my teacher at Peabody now. It is such a loving scene. But I really started to believe in myself when I first heard [saxophonists] Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, who thankfully became huge mentors. And I learned what it means to improvise, to tell stories, when I first heard Kenny Garrett. Since then I’ve tried to be authentic in everything I play, making sure it means something to me so it can mean something to somebody else. I really do believe God put me here to heal others through music, so that’s my goal no matter what I’m playing.
Tell me about playing with your brother.
It’s as natural as breathing. We’re the youngest of eight and we’re one year apart, so we’ve been inseparable since we were little. A lot of people call us the Dorsey Twins. And because we started playing saxophone at the same time, the blend has always been really easy. He used to play alto along with me, but then he switched to tenor and we reached a whole other level. And I am thankful that even though we’ve learned from the same teachers and gone to the same shows we’ve still always sounded different, so there’s a magic to that.
Who have been influential mentors at Peabody?
Definitely Tim Green [assistantprofessor, Jazz Studies]. I would say Sean Jones [Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair of Jazz Studies] as well. And then, actually, somebody who doesn’t work in the Jazz faculty, but is here at Peabody LAUNCHPad, Khandeya Sheppard [steelpan musician and lecturer, Professional Studies]. I appreciate all the support I get from everybody, but I would say those three for sure.
What are you working on now?
I was so busy last year I did not get to do my junior recital, so I am writing a lot of music for that, and then I’ll be going back out on the road again with José. My brother and I are planning to record our first album very, very soon, so I’m hoping that as soon as we graduate we’ll go out to L.A., and that we’ll ultimately record many albums, all of our own music, and be able to travel the world.