Greg Osby
Greg Osby is an American saxophonist known for his very personal playing style and compositions.Biography
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, then at the Berklee College of Music. Osby's main instrument is alto saxophone but he occasionally plays soprano saxophone as well. He played with Jack DeJohnette's group Special Edition from 1985-1991and has recorded with Jim Hall and Andrew Hill, among many other legendary icons in music. With Geri Allen, Steve Coleman, Gary Thomas, and Cassandra Wilson, he was a founding member of the M-Base Collective.
He began recording albums under his own name for JMT Records in the 1980s, then recorded for Blue Note in the 1990s. In the 2000s, he formed his own label, Inner Circle Music. He gave exposure to young pianist Jason Moran, who appeared on most of Osby's 1990s albums, including Further Ado, Zero, Banned in New York and Symbols of Light, a double quartet featuring the addition of a string quartet to the band.
He has also played with Phil Lesh and Friends, and he has toured with the Dead, a reincarnation of the Grateful Dead. He was named Jazz Artist of Year in the March 2009 issue of Playboy magazine.Discography
As leader
As sideman
With Franco Ambrosetti
With Cecil Brooks III
With Uri Caine
With Steve Coleman
With Robin Eubanks
With Gary Thomas
With Andrew Hill
- Eternal Spirit
- But Not Farewell
With Jason Moran
With Tineke Postma
