Greg Osby
American saxophonist (born 1960)
title: "Greg Osby" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1960-births", "living-people", "musicians-from-st.-louis", "howard-university-alumni", "berklee-college-of-music-alumni", "american-jazz-saxophonists", "american-male-saxophonists", "african-american-jazz-musicians", "african-american-saxophonists", "avant-garde-jazz-saxophonists", "free-funk-saxophonists", "21st-century-american-saxophonists", "jazz-musicians-from-missouri", "21st-century-american-male-musicians", "american-male-jazz-musicians", "jmt-records-artists", "blue-note-records-artists", "nagel-heyer-records-artists"] description: "American saxophonist (born 1960)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Osby" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American saxophonist (born 1960) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Greg Osby |
| image | Greg Osby photo.jpg |
| caption | Osby performing in 2008 |
| background | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| genre | Free jazz, free funk, M-Base |
| occupation | Musician, record label owner |
| instrument | Saxophone |
| years_active | 1980–present |
| label | JMT, Blue Note, Inner Circle Music |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Greg Osby | image = Greg Osby photo.jpg | caption = Osby performing in 2008 | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | genre = Free jazz, free funk, M-Base | occupation = Musician, record label owner | instrument = Saxophone | years_active = 1980–present | label = JMT, Blue Note, Inner Circle Music | website =
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
::data[format=table]
| 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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)
- 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)
- 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.
- 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
References
- (1999). "Osby, Greg". [[Oxford University Press]].
- "Greg Osby: Biography".
- Osby uploaded two network recordings of his European tour with the Herbie Hancock Quartet in 1988 on YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMgRNDQBcec&list=RDmMgRNDQBcec&start_radio=1 Herbie Hancock Greg Osby Buster Williams Al Foster] in [[Hamburg]] [[Fabrik (Hamburg)|Fabrik]] (Germany), and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdqp7HYvzEU Herbie Hancock Quartet Belgrade Jazz Festival 1988] in [[Belgrade]], Serbia. In addition there is an audience recording [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jity-nrNaQ Herbie Hancock Quartet - Live in Messina (Italy), Nov. 11, 1988 (audio)].
- "Greg Osby".
- Chinen, Nate. (2019). "Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century". Vintage Books.
- Lyles, Ronald. (April 6, 2011). "Greg Osby Discography".
- Varga, George. (October 24, 2014). "Sax Great Greg Osby Transcends the Dead".
- Fripp, Matt. (January 21, 2022). "Interview with American Saxophone Great Greg Osby".
- Chinen, Nate. (August 4, 2010). "Bridging Jazz Generations Without Nostalgia". [[The New York Times]].
- Osby is also featured on a track of Hall's following album ''By Arrangement'' (Telarc, 1998).
- {{discogs release. 3933931. Large One.
- Osby was also featured on the [[Prince (musician). 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).
- {{discogs release. 3477885. Scoop.
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