Greg Osby

Greg Osby
Osby performing in 2008
Background information
Born	(1960-08-03) August 3, 1960 (age 65) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Genres	Free jazz, free funk, M-Base
Occupations	Musician, record label owner
Instrument	Saxophone
Years active	1980–present
Labels	JMT, Blue Note, Inner Circle Music
Website	www.gregosby.com

Greg Osby (born August 3, 1960) ^[1] 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. ^[1] 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. ^{[2] [3]} In 1985, he joined DeJohnette's group Special Edition. ^[2] With Steve Coleman, Geri Allen, and Cassandra Wilson, he was a founding member of the M-Base Collective. ^[4]

Osby began recording albums under his own name for JMT Records in the mid-1980s, then signed with Blue Note in 1989. ^[2] In 2007, he formed his own label, Inner Circle Music. ^[2] He gave exposure to young pianist Jason Moran, ^[5] 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. ^[6]

He has also played with Phil Lesh and Friends, and he has toured with the Dead, a reincarnation of the Grateful Dead. ^[7] He received the Playboy Magazine Jazz Artist of the Year award for 2004 and 2009. ^[8]

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." ^[9]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Recording date	Title	Label	Year released	Notes
1987-05, 1987-06	Greg Osby and Sound Theatre	JMT	1987	with Michele Rosewoman, Kevin McNeal, Lonnie Plaxico, Paul Samuels, Terri Lyne Carrington, Fusako Yoshida, Haruko Nara
1988-05	Mindgames	JMT	1988	with Geri Allen, Edward Simon, Kevin McNeal, Lonnie Plaxico, Paul Samuels
1989-07	Season of Renewal	JMT	1990	with Kevin Eubanks, Edward Simon, Lonnie Plaxico, Paul Samuels, Cassandra Wilson, Amina Claudine Myers, Renee Rosnes, Steve Thornton
1990-10, 1990-11	Man-Talk for Moderns Vol. X	Blue Note	1991	with Edward Simon, Michael Cain, Chan Johnson, David Gilmore, Lonnie Plaxico, James Genus, Billy Kilson, Steve Moss, and with guests Steve Coleman, Gary Thomas, Hochmad Ali Akkbar
1993?	3-D Lifestyles	Blue Note	1993	with Darrell Grant, Geri Allen, Cassandra Wilson
1995?	Black Book	Blue Note	1995	with Mulgrew Miller, DJ Ghetto, Calvin Jones, Bill McClellan
1996?	Art Forum	Blue Note	1996	with Marvin Sewell, Lonnie Plaxico, Alex Harden, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Cleave Guyton, James Williams, Darrell Grant, Robin Eubanks, Bryan Carrott
1997?	Further Ado	Blue Note	1997	with Jason Moran, Calvin Jones, Lonnie Plaxico, Eric Harland, Cleave Guyton, Jeff Haynes, Mark Shim, Tim Hagans
1997-12	Banned in New York	Blue Note	1998	Live with Jason Moran, Atsushi (Az'Shi) Osada, Rodney Green
1998-01	Zero	Blue Note	1998	with Jason Moran, Dwayne Burno, Lonnie Plaxico, Rodney Green, Kevin McNeal
1998-12	Friendly Fire	Blue Note	1999	co-led by Joe Lovano, with Jason Moran, Cameron Brown, Idris Muhammad
1999-04	Inner Circle	Blue Note	2002	with Jason Moran, Stefon Harris, Tarus Mateen, Eric Harland
1999-05	New Directions	Blue Note	2000	with Jason Moran, Stefon Harris, Mark Shim
1999-09	The Invisible Hand	Blue Note	2000	with Gary Thomas, Andrew Hill, Jim Hall, Scott Colley, Terri Lyne Carrington
2001-01	Symbols of Light (A Solution)	Blue Note	2001	with Jason Moran, Scott Colley, Marlon Browden, Nioka Workman, Judith Insell, Marlene Rice, Christian Howes
2002-11	Round & Round	Nagel-Heyer	2003	duo with Marc Copland
2003-01	St. Louis Shoes	Blue Note	2003	with Nicholas Payton, Harold O'Neal, Robert Hurst, Rodney Green
2003-11	Night Call	Nagel-Heyer	2004	duo with Marc Copland
2004-01	Public	Blue Note	2004	Live with Nicholas Payton, Megumi Yonezawa, Robert Hurst, Rodney Green, Joan Osborne
2005-02	Channel Three	Blue Note	2005	with Jeff "Tain" Watts, Matt Brewer
2008-08	9 Levels	Inner Circle Music	2008	with Sara Serpa, Adam Birnbaum, Nir Felder, Joseph Lepore, Hamir Atwal
2014	Sonic Halo	Challenge	2014	co-led by Tineke Postma, with Matt Mitchell, Linda Oh, Dan Weiss
2019	Minimalism	Inner Circle Music	2023	with Tal Cohen, João Barradas, Nimrod Speaks, Adam Arruda, Viktorija Pilatovic, Alessandra Diodati

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

• The Blue Note All Stars (with Tim Hagans, Javon Jackson, Kevin Hays, Essiet Essiet and Bill Stewart), Blue Spirit (Blue Note, 1996)
• Terri Lyne Carrington, Jimmy Haslip, Greg Osby, and Adam Rogers, Structure (ACT Music, 2004) – rec. 2003
• Tal Cohen, Greg Osby, Jamie Oehlers, Robert Hurst, Nate Winn, Gentle Giants (Inner Circle, 2017)
• Harris / Moran / Osby / Shim, New Directions (Blue Note, 1999)

As sideman

With Franco Ambrosetti

• Movies Too (Enja, 1988)
• Music for Symphony and Jazz Band (Enja, 1991) – rec. 1990
• After the Rain (Enja, 2015)
• Cheers (Enja, 2017)

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

• Irresistible Forces (MCA Impulse!, 1987)
• Audio-Visualscapes (MCA Impulse!, 1988)
• Earthwalk (Blue Note, 1991)

With Jim Hall

• Panorama: Live at the Village Vanguard (Telarc, 1997), on two tracks ^[10]
• The Jim Hall Quartet, Live at Birdland (ArtistShare, 2014) - rec. 2012

With Stefon Harris

• A Cloud of Red Dust (Blue Note, 1998)
• BlackActionFigure (Blue Note, 1999)

With Peter Herborn

• Large One (Jazzline, 1998), featuring Gary Thomas, T. L. Carrington, a. o. ^[11]
• Large Two (Jazzline, 2002)

With Andrew Hill

• Eternal Spirit (Blue Note, 1989)
• But Not Farewell (Blue Note, 1991) – rec. 1990

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

• Live at the Village Vanguard (Winter & Winter, 2007)
• Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. II (Winter & Winter, 2008)

With Lonnie Plaxico

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

With Sam Rivers' Rivbea All-Star Orchestra

• Inspiration (BMG France, 1999)
• Culmination (BMG France, 1999)

With Michele Rosewoman

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

With Gary Thomas

• By Any Means Necessary (JMT, 1989)
• Pariah's Pariah (Winter & Winter, 1998) – rec. 1997

With others

• John Arnold & Black Market, Opium (Cosmopolitan, 2001), with Gary Thomas, Kenny Garrett, John Abercrombie and John Pattitucci
• Carlos Averhoff, iRESI (Inner Circle, 2015)
• Bob Belden, Tapestry (Blue Note, 1997) ^[12]
• Cindy Blackman, Santi Debriano, David Fiuczynski Feat. Greg Osby and Jerry Gonzalez, Trio + Two (Free Lance, 1991)
• Cecil Brooks III, The Collective (Muse, 1989)
• Uri Caine, The Goldberg Variations (Winter & Winter, 2000)
• Tony Cedras, The Indica Project: Horn Ok Please (Enja, 1997), featuring Indian musicians
• Marc Copland, Crosstalk (Pirouet, 2011)
• Andrew Cyrille, Low Blue Flame (Tum, 2006) – rec. 2005
• Liberty Ellman, Tactiles (Pi, 2003)
• Robin Eubanks, Karma (JMT, 1991)
• Michael Formanek, Wide Open Spaces (Enja, 1990)
• Jimmy Herring, Lifeboat (Abstract Logix, 2008)
• Bobby Previte, Charlie Hunter as Groundtruther, Latitude (Thirsty Ear, 2004)
• Bobby Previte, Terminals (Cantaloupe, 2014)
• Herbie Hancock Quartet, Live (Jazz Door, 1994)
• Graham Haynes and No Image, ¿What Time It Be! (Muse, 1991)
• Mark Helias, The Current Set (Enja, 1987)
• Jimmy Herring, Lifeboat (Abstract Logix, 2008)
• Rodney Jones, The "X" Field (MusicMasters Jazz, 1996)
• Cornelius Claudio Kreusch & BlackMudSound, Scoop (ACT, 1997), featuring Bobby Watson, James Genus, Anthony Cox, T. L. Carrington a. o. ^[13]
• Oliver Lake, Otherside (Gramavision, 1988)
• Ben Markley Quartet, Basic Economy (OA2, 2018)
• Jason Moran, Soundtrack to Human Motion (Blue Note, 1999) – rec. 1998
• Tineke Postma, Sonic Halo (Challenge, 2014)
• Project Z, Lincoln Memorial (Abstract Logix, 2005) – rec. 2002
• Dianne Reeves, The Nearness of You (Blue Note, 1988)
• Logan Richardson, Cerebral Flow (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2007)
• Teri Roiger, Dear Abbey (The Music of Abbey Lincoln) (Inner Circle, 2012)
• Paul Samuels Speak (LKS, 2006)
• Ed Schuller & Band, The Eleventh Hour (Tutu, 1992)
• Sara Serpa, Praia (Inner Circle, 2008), on three tracks, and co-producer
• Sara Serpa & André Matos, Primavera (Inner Circle, 2014)

References

1. Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (1999). "Osby, Greg". The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 508.
2. "Greg Osby: Biography". All About Jazz. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
3. Osby uploaded two network recordings of his European tour with the Herbie Hancock Quartet in 1988 on YouTube: Herbie Hancock Greg Osby Buster Williams Al Foster in Hamburg Fabrik (Germany), and Herbie Hancock Quartet Belgrade Jazz Festival 1988 in Belgrade, Serbia. In addition there is an audience recording Herbie Hancock Quartet - Live in Messina (Italy), Nov. 11, 1988 (audio).
4. Ankeny, Jason. "Greg Osby". AllMusic . Retrieved June 4, 2017.
5. Chinen, Nate (2019). Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century. Vintage Books. pp. 106–108.
6. Lyles, Ronald (April 6, 2011). "Greg Osby Discography". JazzDiscography.com. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
7. Varga, George (October 24, 2014). "Sax Great Greg Osby Transcends the Dead". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
8. Fripp, Matt (January 21, 2022). "Interview with American Saxophone Great Greg Osby". JazzFuel. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
9. Chinen, Nate (August 4, 2010). "Bridging Jazz Generations Without Nostalgia". The New York Times . Retrieved February 28, 2022.
10. Osby is also featured on a track of Hall's following album By Arrangement (Telarc, 1998).
11. Large One at Discogs.
12. Osby was also featured on the Prince tribute album by Belden accompanying Cassandra Wilson singing (the title track) "When Doves Cry", also on the Beatles tribute Strawberry Fields alongside Jahlisa Williams (Blue Note, 1996), and on a track of Shades of Blue: A Bob Belden Project (Somethin' Else, 1998).
13. Scoop at Discogs.

External links

• Greg Osby – official site