Blower's bout: Alex Murzyn versus Doug Lawrence

Jul. 30—Doug Lawrence, featured tenor soloist with the Grammy-winning Count Basie Orchestra, faces off against tenor soloist Alex Murzyn in Tough Tenors, Saxophone battles have been drawing crowds since the Big Band era, and they featured heavyweights like Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Johnny Griffin, and Gene Ammons. In addition to performing as a solo artist and as a leader of his own bands, Lawrence appears on recordings with jazz greats Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and other prominent musicians. Murzyn, an in-demand sideman who plays in a variety of genres, has performed with a number of diverse bands and musicians, including Gillespie, Sammy Davis Jr., Huey Lewis and the News, The Temptations, and The Four Tops. Take a ringside seat for the matchup at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 30, at SITE Santa Fe (1606 Paseo de Peralta, 505-989-1199, sitesantafe.org). Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at holdmyticket.com/event/376688.