David Schnitter
A powerful tenor saxophonist who anchored Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, bringing muscular, blues-drenched energy to the hard bop tradition.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American jazz saxophonist·Birthday: March 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Emerging from the vibrant New York jazz scene of the 1970s, David Schnitter's big, commanding sound on the tenor saxophone quickly made him a sought-after sideman. His most defining chapter began in 1972 when he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the famed finishing school for young jazz talent. For six years, Schnitter stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Blakey's explosive drumming, contributing robust, soulful solos that grounded the band's hard-driving aesthetic. After his tenure with Blakey, he continued to perform and record, leading his own groups and collaborating with figures like Freddie Hubbard and Slide Hampton. While not a constant headline name, Schnitter's work represents a vital link in the chain of tenor saxophone lineage, his style a direct, unfiltered expression of blues power and bebop fluency that refused to bow to passing trends.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the tenor saxophonist for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers from 1972 to 1978, a pivotal role in the band's history.
- Recorded several albums as a bandleader, including "Glowing" and "The Spirit of Things."
- Performed and recorded with a roster of jazz greats including Freddie Hubbard, Slide Hampton, and the Mingus Dynasty band.
Did You Know?
He was originally a pre-med student before fully committing to a career in music.
Schnitter replaced saxophonist Bill Pierce in the Jazz Messengers when Pierce left to finish his college degree.
He is the father of drummer Kush Abadey.
“You have to play the changes, but you don't have to live inside them.”
