Myanna Pontopiddan

Myanna Pontoppidan, who records simply as Myanna, is one of the hardest-blowing saxophonists in New England, with an edgy, aggressive alto tone in a field that usually rewards smoothness. She threads jazz improvisation through funky backbeats and hook-driven writing, on albums such as After Hours and Divine Dysfunktion. She has won best-jazz-artist honors from the Boston Music Awards and the Boston Phoenix readers poll.