A benefit to help Dayna Stephens, a highly respected saxophonist, will be held Sunday at Piedmont Piano
Dayna Stephens knows a thing or two about overcoming obstacles. As a standout tenor saxophonist at Alameda High in the mid-1990s, he and a friend took over the jazz ensemble when the school’s band director quit at the beginning of his junior year. Looking for more rigorous musical training, he transferred to Berkeley High his senior year, and quickly became one of the vaunted jazz program’s leading lights. These days he’s one of the most respected saxophonists on the New York scene, and he’s facing a far more daunting challenge than an AWOL teacher.
Diagnosed in with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) at 19, he’s long depended upon dialysis and has been on a kidney transplant wait-list for four years. Beloved by his peers as a person and a player, Stephens is at the center of an ongoing campaign, including a website, Help Dayna Stephens, to raise awareness about FSGS and funds for his medical expenses, which will run some $4,000 a month for anti-rejection medications alone.(...)
Read the rest of Benefit for Dayna Stephens, top saxophonist, BHS alumnus (1,021 words)
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Post tags: Berkeley High School, Berkeley musician, Charlie Rouse, Dave Brubeck Jazz Quintet, Dayna Stephens, Joe Henderson, Mark Turner, Monterey Jazz Festival, Piedmont Pianos, Stan Getz, Taylor Eigsti, Wayne Shorter