Nicholas Thomas Brignola (born 17 July 1936), known as “Nick”, was an American
jazz baritone saxophonist. He began playing clarinet at age 11 before adopting
the alto and tenor saxophones and flute. At age 20, he adopted the baritone
saxophone as his primary instrument. While studying at Ithaca College, his
quintet won the 1957 DownBeat award for best college group, leading to his first
album recording and festival appearances. This recognition earned him the Benny
Goodman Scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. Brignola gained
international recognition in the 1960s touring ...