Mixing new songs with his versions of contemporary hits, Alfonzo Blackwell debuted in 1995 with Let's Imagine, for the Scotti Bros. label. The album did well on the Contemporary Jazz charts and sparked Blackwell's second album, a self-titled 1996 LP. He returned two years later with Body and Soul, followed in the spring of 2000 by The Time Is... [+] Read More

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Contemporary jazz saxophonist/composer Andy Snitzer was born and raised in Philadelphia; although his first instrument was the clarinet, he turned to the sax at age 15, going on to study music at the University of Miami. There he was discovered by Bob James, touring behind the keyboardist and appearing on a series of albums beginning with 1987's... [+] Read More

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David Sanchez took up the conga when he was eight and started playing tenor at age 12. He graduated from a performing arts high school in 1986, spent a year studying psychology, and then moved to New York City in 1988, having decided to become a musician. Sanchez attended Rutgers University, studying with Kenny Barron, Ted Dunbar, and John... [+] Read More

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Smooth jazz guitarist/composer Doc Powell discovered his musical talent early: by the age of 6, the New York native already played guitar, and by his teens he was recording and performing live. These early performances captured the attention of many prominent musicians, including Wilson Pickett, who chose the barely-into-his 20s Powell as his... [+] Read More

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Schuller was born in New York City, but moved to Boston at a young age. He received his bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1982. Schuller spent most of the next decade-plus playing in and around the Boston area with such local musicians as Herb Pomeroy, Ran Blake, George Garzone, and Jaki Byard.... [+] Read More

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A native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, trumpeter Rick Braun first surfaced as a member of the jazz-fusion outfit Auracle, formed while he was a student at the prestigious Eastman School of Music. After two LPs the group disbanded, and Braun turned to songwriting, scoring a hit with REO Speedwagon's "Here with Me; " in time he directed his focus to... [+] Read More

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Steve Beresford is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist in jazz and avant-garde music. In addition to his work as a composer and arranger, Beresford plays piano, trumpet, euphonium, low-grade electronics, bass guitar, and more. He began playing piano and studying classical music when he was seven years old, and at the age of 15 started studying... [+] Read More

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The featured artist originally filled-in for a celebrity male vocalist. This artist stayed behind-the-scenes as a producer-writer. His curse and blessing lie in stylist vocal approach, but has a range of styles from rock to country. He began his recording career at age 14 and wrote the leads to a "Best R&B Instrumental" by age 22. Versatile... [+] Read More

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Most athletes who moved into the recording business during the '90s found rap to be their forté, but Wayman Tisdale shifted the field to contemporary jazz with his 1995 debut album Power Forward, recorded for the Motown subsidiary MoJazz. A 1984 Olympic Gold medalist in basketball, All-American at the University of Oklahoma, and member of the... [+] Read More

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