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.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). 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 Recording date Title Label Year released Notes1987-05, 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 2001with Jason Moran, Scott Colley, Marlon Browden, Nioka Workman, Judith Insell, Marlene Rice, Christian Howes2002-11Round & RoundNagel-Heyer2003duo with Marc Copland 2003-01 St. Louis Shoes Blue Note 2003 with Nicholas Payton, Harold O'Neal, Robert Hurst, Rodney Green2003-11Night CallNagel-Heyer2004duo 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 2005with Jeff "Tain" Watts, Matt Brewer 2008-08 9 Levels Inner Circle Music 2008 with Sara Serpa, Adam Birnbaum, Nir Felder, Joseph Lepore, Hamir Atwal2014Sonic Halo Challenge2014co-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
Collaborations Terri Lyne Carrington, Jimmy Haslip, Greg Osby and Adam Rogers, Structure (ACT Music, 2004) – rec. 2003 Tal Cohen, Greg Osby, Jamie Oehlers, Robert Hurst and Nate Winn, Gentle Giants (Inner Circle, 2017)
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-released), 1991; DIW, 1992) as Strata Institute, Transmigration (Rebel-X, 1991; DIW, 1992) – sextet with Coleman and Von Freeman
The Blue Note All Stars With Tim Hagans, Javon Jackson, Kevin Hays, Essiet Essiet and Bill Stewart Blue Spirit (Blue Note, 1996)
New Directions With Mark Shim, Stefon Harris, Jason Moran, Tarus Mateen and Nasheet Waits Blue Note New Directions (Blue Note/Somethin' Else, 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)[2CD] – only on disk 1 Genesis
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) – live. on two tracks.Osby is also featured on a track of Hall's following album By Arrangement (Telarc, 1998). The Jim Hall Quartet, Live at Birdland (ArtistShare, 2014) - live rec. 2012
With Stefon Harris A Cloud of Red Dust (Blue Note, 1998) BlackActionFigure (Blue Note, 1999)
With Peter Herborn Large One (Jazzline, 1998) – rec. 1997 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) – rec. 1988
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)
Carlos Averhoff, iRESI (Inner Circle, 2015) Bob Belden, Tapestry (Blue Note, 1997)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). Cindy Blackman, Santi Debriano, David Fiuczynski, 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) Marc Copland, Crosstalk (Pirouet, 2011) Andrew Cyrille, Low Blue Flame (Tum, 2006) 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) Oliver Lake, Otherside (Gramavision, 1988) Ben Markley Quartet, Basic Economy (OA2, 2018) Jason Moran, Soundtrack to Human Motion (Blue Note, 1999) Tineke Postma, Sonic Halo (Challenge, 2014) Project Z, Lincoln Memorial (Abstract Logix, 2005) 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) Sara Serpa & André Matos, Primavera (Inner Circle, 2014)
References
External links – official site