Liam Hurlbut is a Maryland-based saxophonist, composer-improviser and educator. At a young age, he was introduced to the music of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins by his father. Both artists made a lasting and permanent impact on Liam’s view of the saxophone as a powerful expressive medium. Over time, he grew to be influenced by saxophonists who contributed explorative timbres and unique voices to the instrument. Most importantly Jan Garbarek, Pharoah Sanders, and Albert Ayler.

One of Liam’s foundational experiences was participating in the improvisation collective Out of Your Head. Through this collective, he had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the most talented musicians in Baltimore. As a result, he would go on to form a musical identity based on his passion for trans-idiomatic improvisation.

Liam primarily performs as a freelancer for weddings and private events, but he also works as a bandleader and co-leader. In 2018, his jazz fusion band Ephemera Quartet released the EP Energy Music. With saxophonist Jarrett Gilgore, he co-led Time Toss. This group performed original works and played on musically diverse bills with artists ranging from Susan Alcorn and Amadou Kouyate to Cuddle Magic and Super City. In 2024, he recorded an album with a sextet dedicated to the music of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane thanks to a grant from Arts for All.

Liam has shared the stage with The Phil Cunneff Trio, Dan Deacon, Baltimore Afrobeat Society, Jazzmeia Horn, Keyon Harrold, and John Clayton, among many other great artists.

Liam studied saxophone with Paul Carr, Darryl Brenzel, Johnathan Yanik, Tim Powell, and Tony Malaby.

He holds a Bachelor of Music from Towson University and a Master of Music in jazz studies from the University of Maryland.