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Greg Osby

Greg Osby (born August 3, 1960) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.

Biography

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, then at the Berklee College of Music. He moved to New York City in 1982, where he played with Jaki Byard, Jim Hall, Muhal Richard Abrams, Andrew Hill, Jack DeJohnette, Dizzy Gillespie, and Herbie Hancock. In 1985, he joined DeJohnette's group Special Edition. With Steve Coleman, Geri Allen, and Cassandra Wilson, he was a founding member of the M-Base Collective.

Osby began recording albums under his own name for JMT Records in the mid-1980s, then signed with Blue Note in 1989. In 2007, 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 received the Playboy Magazine Jazz Artist of the Year award for 2004 and 2009.

Nate Chinen, writing for The New York Times, called Osby "a mentor and a pacesetter, one of the sturdier bridges between jazz generations," and stated that he has "a keen, focused tone on alto saxophone and a hummingbird's phrasing, an equilibrium of hover and flutter."

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As a member

M-Base collective
  • as Strata Institute, Cipher Syntax (JMT, 1989), sextet with Steve Coleman a. o. M-Base musicians
  • Anatomy of a Groove (Rebel-X [self-rel.], 1991/DIW, 1992)
  • as Strata Institute, Transmigration (Rebel-X, 1991/DIW, 1992), sextet with Coleman and Von Freeman
Other collaborations

As sideman

With Franco Ambrosetti

With Jangeun Bae Trio

  • Go (Sony, 2008)
  • Go+ (Inner Circle, 2010)
  • Last Minute (Sony Korea, 2011)

With Steve Coleman

  • Drop Kick (Novus/RCA, 1992), on two tracks
  • The Council of Balance (and Five Elements), Genesis & The Opening of the Way (BMG France/RCA Victor, 1997), only on Genesis, the first of the 2CD set

With Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition

With Jim Hall

  • ' (Telarc, 1997), on two tracks
  • The Jim Hall Quartet, Live at Birdland (ArtistShare, 2014) - rec. 2012

With Stefon Harris

With

  • Large One (Jazzline, 1998), featuring Gary Thomas, T. L. Carrington, a. o.
  • Large Two (Jazzline, 2002)

With Andrew Hill

With Terumasa Hino-Masabumi Kikuchi Quintet

  • Acoustic Boogie (Somethin' Else, 1995)
  • Moment: Alive at Blue Note Tokyo (EMI/Somethin' Else, 1996)

With Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith, Yo Miles!

  • Sky Garden (Cuneiform, 2004)
  • Upriver (Cuneiform, 2005)

With Phil Lesh and Friends

  • Live at the Warfield, San Francisco, CA (Image Entertainment/Relix, 2006)
  • Bethel, NY 7.09.06 (Instant Live, 2006)

With Jason Moran

  • Facing Left (Blue Note, 1999)
  • Black Stars (Blue Note, 2001)

With Paul Motian Trio 2000 + Two

With Lonnie Plaxico

  • Plaxico (Muse, 1990)
  • Iridescence (Muse, 1991)
  • Short Takes (Muse, 1992)

With Sam Rivers' Rivbea All-Star Orchestra

With Michele Rosewoman

  • Quintessence (Enja, 1987)
  • Quintessence, Contrast High (Enja, 1989)

With Gary Thomas

With others

References

External links

  • – official site