Best Instrumentalist

1. Paul Biondi GiftedChildMusic.com.

2. Don Latarski DonLatarski.com.

3. Idit Shner IditShner.com.

“So I was watching them rehearse, and the guy playing the sax, he picks up an alto, and the song was ‘Watermelon Man.’ And I was ready to start a religion around the guy,” saxophone player Paul Biondi says over the phone when asked what provoked him to play two saxophones at once. He’s just returned home from Philadelphia, where he grew up and where his affair with saxophone began. Biondi started playing the sax in fourth grade, picking up cues from the jazz music going on in house. “There were a lot of great players in the Philadelphia area who would rehearse in our basement.” He says playing two horns together “didn’t happen all at once. They don’t record well, but when you play it live at a gig, it has a chance to spread out throughout the room.” Biondi has played sax alongside such timeless jazz artists as Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé. Playing with Fitzgerald and Tormé sticks out in his mind because they both “had the ability to riff, to improvise… doing scat. They’re like instruments unto themselves.” A resident of Eugene since 2004, Biondi plays regularly at Mac’s Restaurant and Nightclub and Unity of the Valley Church, and is involved in local and national fundraising and relief efforts. “I may not be able to write a $1,000 check to a cause I believe in,” Biondi explains of his consistent involvement in fundraising through music, “but I can donate my time as a performer as a musician.”

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!