Greg Osby

A very original soloist with a style and sound of his own, Greg Osby is one of the most innovative jazz musicians of the past 20 years. Born in St. Louis in 1960, Osby gained early experience playing blues, r&b, funk and jazz as a teenager. He attended Howard University and the Berklee School Of Music (1980-83). After graduating from Berklee, Osby moved to New York. He became associated with Steve Coleman and the M-Base Collective, performing a new style of jazz that included creative funk rhythms, advanced harmonies and improvising that was influenced a bit by Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time. Osby developed his own original voice with the M-Base players and during associations with Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition, Herbie Hancock, Jaki Byard and Muhal Richard Abrams. Osby began recording as a leader in 1987 and gained recognition for his playing with Andrew Hill. In the 1990s the altoist created an important series of albums for Blue Note, serving as an inspiration for younger adventurous musicians including pianist Jason Moran who was in Osby’s group for a time. He also was part of Henry Kaiser and Wadada Leo Smith’s “Yo Miles” band and in 2003 toured with The Dead (a Grateful Dead tribute group). During his career, in addition to his own albums, Greg Osby has recorded with Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, Andrew Hill, the Strata Institute, the M-Base Collective, Steve Coleman, Dianne Reeves, Gary Thomas, Cassandra Wilson, Terri Lyne Carrington, Mark Helias, Cecil Brooks III, Michele Rosewoman, Franco Ambrosetti, Michael Formanek, Lonnie Plaxico, Bob Belden, Rodney Jones, Jim Hall, Stefon Harris, Jason Moran, Sam Rivers, Joe Lovano, Stefon Harris, Uri Caine, Marc Copland, Yo Miles, Andrew Cyrille and Paul Motian.