Michael Paulo

Michael Paulo stands out as a skilled saxophonist whose career has centered primarily on the pop/jazz crossover realm. Born into a household steeped in music, with a pianist father and a singer mother, he waited until age 15 before taking up the saxophone. His progress proved rapid, leading to local performances across Hawaii while still enrolled in high school. Following graduation he joined the Hawaiian pop/rock outfit Kalapana from 1975 to 1979, appearing on four of the band’s albums, and during those same years he also cut sessions alongside Herbie Hancock. Still active as a studio player in Hawaii, Paulo relocated to Los Angeles in 1981. There he performed with Ray Armando and a regional r&b ensemble before entering Al Jarreau’s touring group in 1983, an association that lasted ten years. His debut outing as a leader—apart from an earlier Japanese Trio release—came in 1989 with the well-received One Passion on MCA. Subsequent pop-jazz projects appeared on GRP and Noteworthy, while additional collaborations involved Patti Austin, David Benoit, Johnny Mathis and numerous others; in more recent times he has focused chiefly on his own recordings.