Sherman Irby

Post-bop alto saxophonist Sherman Irby entered the world in Tuscaloosa, AL, where family encouragement first steered him toward music via the viola. He progressed through guitar and piano before committing to the saxophone during his teenage years, at which point jazz captured his imagination completely. At Clark-Atlanta University he pursued classical studies while distinguishing himself in the institution’s jazz orchestra. Although he completed a degree in music education, Irby declined any path into teaching and instead accepted a string of unfulfilling daytime positions that left him free to concentrate on performance. Refining his approach alongside Atlanta players such as ex-Art Blakey pianist Johnny O’Neal and trumpeter Eddie Adams, he boarded a cruise ship in 1994 for a steady engagement that lasted nearly three years. Upon leaving the sea he moved to New York City and began frequenting late-night sessions at the Greenwich Village venue Smalls. There, Irby and his regular group—pianist James Hurt, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Dana Murray—became fixtures, attracting the attention of Blue Note, which issued his debut Full Circle in 1997. Subsequent sideman work with Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis, and Marcus Roberts preceded the 1998 release of his second album, Big Mama’s Biscuits. Irby later established Black Warrior Records, the imprint behind Black Warrior (2001), Faith (2004), and Organ Starter (2006).