Greg Osby

 ( Www.gregosby.com Official Website ) 

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."

M-Base

• 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 Records, 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)
• Stefon Harris / Moran / Osby / Mark Shim, New Directions (Blue Note, 1999)

• 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 Records/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

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

With Jim Hall

• (Telarc, 1997), on two tracksOsby is also featured on a track of Hall's following album By Arrangement (Telarc, 1998).
• 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)

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 Records, 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 Records, 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 Patitucci

• 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 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 Recordings, 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 Records, 1987)
• Jimmy Herring, Lifeboat (Abstract Logix, 2008)
• Rodney Jones, The "X" Field (MusicMasters Jazz, 1996)
• Cornelius Claudio Kreusch & BlackMudSound, Scoop (ACT Music, 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 & Andre Matos, Primavera (Inner Circle, 2014)

• – official site