©Elisabeth Caren

©Elisabeth Caren

Welcome! Visit my calendar and come say hello at a show. I’m also on Instagram now @TheBudTheMan

 
 

Since his move to Los Angeles from San Francisco in 2005, Alex Budman has been in heavy demand as a session musician and soloist, recording on a wide variety of albums, TV shows and movies. His command of the saxophone, clarinet and flute keeps him busy playing in the top tier of LA's musical community. Known for his jazz clarinet playing, Alex is included in Hal Leonard’s solo transcription collection Clarinet Omnibook. He can also be found playing lead alto sax in many of the top big bands in Los Angeles.


As a bandleader in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex directed his 16-piece Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, playing more than 300 shows and recording two albums. The second, Instruments of Mass Pleasure, was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. In 2012 he and trombonist/composer Jeremy Levy released the Budman/Levy Orchestra's debut album From There to Here, featuring a top-flight group of young Los Angeles musicians, solos by Alex, and Jeremy's original compositions and arrangements. In 2017 they collaborated with vocalist/songwriter Spencer Day on his Angel City project, an album of originals about Southern California. Their most recent collaboration, The Planets: Reimagined, was nominated for a 2021 Grammy™ Award in the instrumental arranging category. Alex co-produced the album and is featured on lead alto sax.

CALENDAR 2026

October 2nd with SuperFunkyVeryLucky at The Grape in Ventura. 8pm

October 3rd with The Doo Wop Project at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. 8pm

October 4th with The Doo Wop Project at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach. 3pm

October 4th with Bernie Dresel’s BBB at Campus JAX in Newport Beach. 6:30pm

October 8th with Fisher and Thames at Vibrato Grill Jazz in Bel Air. 7pm

October 9th with the David Moscoe Trio and vocalist Matt Forbes at the Dresden in Hollywood. 9pm

October 11th with the Brent Fischer Orchestra in Studio City. 4pm details here

October 16th with Steely Dan tribute Pretzel Logic at Spaghettini in Seal Beach. 7pm

October 16th with vocalist/guitarist Tim Russ at the Kibitz Room in Los Angeles. 10:30pm

October 20th with bassist Benny Rietveld at the Baked Potato in Studio City. Sets at 8pm and 10pm

 
 
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The Planets: Reimagined

A fresh big band interpretation of Gustav Holst’s epic orchestral work. “Uranus” has been nominated for a Grammy™ for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

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From There to Here

The debut album from the Budman/Levy Orchestra, featuring the compositions and arrangements of Jeremy Levy and solos by Alex.

Instruments of Mass Pleasure

The first studio album by San Francisco’s Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. This album showcases arrangements by Alex, Chuck MacKinnon and a clarinet feature penned by the great Oliver Nelson.