Hey everyone, take a look at our newest front page feature, the Indaba Spotlight. This is the place where we'll showcase our favorite Indaba users.  For our first, let's all meet...

Greg Osby
From his Website Bio:

Born and raised in St. Louis, Greg Osby began his professional music career in 1975, after three years of private studies on clarinet, flute and alto saxophone. Coming from a vibrant and musical city, Osby showed an early interest in the performing arts and spent his years in secondary school with a heavy involvement in Blues and Jazz groups. In 1978 Osby furthered his musical education at Howard University where he majored in Jazz Studies. He continued his studies at the Berklee College of Music from 1980 to 1983. 

According to his site, after Berklee Osby moved to New York, played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Herby Hancock and Jack DeJohnette, signed in 1987 with a German jazz label and, in 1990, switched to Blue Note Records. He has recorded 16 albums and is set to tour Europe early next year.  He is known as one of the most innovative jazz musicians in the country and, as if that weren't enough, is a competent and intelligent lecturer.  Greg is, in short, the guy who makes you feel bad about your own accomplishments.  

Greg was nice enough to answer a few questions via email for me.   

I noticed you have tons of Myspace friends and a bunch of Indaba contacts.  Have you found that the Internet has helped spread your music to not only your fans but to new listeners?
I've been involved with the Internet since it was made available to the public, when it was all text and usenet - no graphic images. I've made it my business to use it to directly link and associate myself with students and supporters of my music on all of the online music and social networks. As an artist, it's important to make oneself as accessible as possible to every potential patron or purchaser of your music, especially since most of the sites are free of charge and make it incredibly easy to set up accounts.

What is more important to becoming a successful musician and why: touring or recording?
Both are entirely necessary. The recording is a documented example of what an artists intends to present during a performance. It is used by booking agents and promoters to determining which groups offer the right programming for their events and venues. The artist must perform live in order to connect personally with his audience and to demonstrate that what was done on the recording was not studio trickery or a one-shot fluke.

Where do you find inspiration when composing?
Composition is 50 percent intuition and 50 percent utilization of what one KNOWS will work. The source of divine inspiration in art is unknown, although the catch-phrase "spiritual" is tossed around somewhat recklessly in order to define what takes place. While it is possible to be influenced by one's environment, personal philosophies or beliefs, true inspiration stems from an innate desire to express undefinable thoughts via some form of tangible communication.

What qualities do you look for in a fellow player when putting together a group?
Enthusiasm, eagerness to learn, punctuality, responsibility and most of all, fearlessness.

Well, I'm 0 for 5 there.  And now that you've heard the words of Greg Osby, enjoy a few of his songs that he was nice enough to post on Indaba.

"Channel Three," the title track off his latest release.

"Heard" off 1997's Further Ado

"Nature Boy" off 2000's The Invisible Hand

 

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Osby's Website
Osby's Indaba Profile
The Berklee Music contest, featuring music from Greg Osby

 

-Streeter

Pssst. Is there anyone you'd like to see profiled on Indaba?  Shoot me an email at Streeter@Indabamusic.com and let me know.