Saxophonist, Composer & Producer

Tristan Cappel is a saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, and producer from Detroit, MI. He is currently based in Los Angeles, CA.

Tristan’s debut jazz album ‘Wanderlust’ released June 7th 2024. The album features his compositions and voice as a composer and improviser. The record showcases Los Angeles musicians Adam Hersh, Randal Fisher, Marlon Martinez, & Tim Rachbach.

Listen here!

Tristan Cappel is a sought-after soloist and multi-instrumentalist. Recently, he joined Michelle Coltrane and the Coltrane Home for performances in NYC, LA, and Denver for The Year of Alice, a year-long celebration of Alice Coltrane's life and legacy. Recent performances include “Everybody’s LIVE with John Mulany,” featuring Cypress Hill + Orchestra. In November of 2024, Tristan joined A Tribute to MF DOOM at the Camp Flog Gnaw festival, led by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, featuring Erykah Badu, Madlib, Karriem Riggins, and Daedelus. In September 2024, he played the Hollywood Bowl with Imagine Dragons and the LA Film Orchestra. In the July 2024, he performed with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in a Henry Mancini tribute featuring Michael Bublé, Cynthia Erivo, and Dave Koz. Other career highlights include touring the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand with Postmodern Jukebox and performing at major festivals such as the Detroit Jazz Festival, Iowa City Jazz Festival, Hartford Jazz Festival, and Java Jazz Festival in Indonesia.

As a sideman and collaborator, Tristan has worked and recorded with artists including Stanley Clarke, EMIL, Black Pumas, Telemakus, Beat Butcha, Willy Yanez, Robert DeLeo, Cypress Hill, Lizzo, Michelle Coltrane, Bruno Mars, Robert Hurst, Daru Jones, Emiliano Lasansky, Walter White, Gunhild Carling, Hugh Jackman, Surya Botofasina, Olivia Dean, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Marlonius Jazz Orchestra, Quelle Rox, Leland Blue, Jonah Graves, Nathan Bieber, Randal Fisher, Adam Hersh, Myles Martin, and Greg Shilling.

As a multi-instrumentalist, Tristan has recorded for film, television, and video games, collaborating with composers such as Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Inon Zur, Jeff Toyne, and Jeff Russo. Notably, he contributed to Jeff Toyne’s Emmy-winning theme music for Apple TV’s Palm Royale. He has performed with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the LA Film Orchestra, and the Pasadena Pops Symphony. In theater, Tristan has played in the pit orchestras for numerous touring Broadway productions, including the U.S. debut of Sondheim’s Old Friends, Mean Girls, Company, A Christmas Story, Chicago, Finding Neverland, Anastasia, A Strange Loop, Funny Girl, Hello, Dolly!, Cats, and Aladdin.

Tristan earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. He has attended the Jazz & Contemporary Music program at the Banff Center for Arts & Creativity, Keep an Eye Jazz at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and School for Improvised Music at the Brooklyn Conservatory.

Tristan releases his electronic music under the moniker BOTANICA.