Born on 2 July 1973 in Fairfield, California, Avery first picked up the guitar at age ten. At thirteen he turned to the alto saxophone and joined his junior high ensemble. While still in high school he moved to tenor after absorbing recordings by John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon. He sharpened his skills by joining visiting players on stage, among them Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Elvin Jones, Branford Marsalis and Wynton Marsalis. During his senior year he took lessons from Joe Henderson, then enrolled at Berklee College of Music, where he collected several honors, notably the 1993 Sony Innovation Award. At twenty he released his debut album under his own name, revealing an already mature gift for composition. Avery, who also performs on soprano saxophone, is widely viewed as a gifted artist poised to leave a lasting imprint on jazz as the new century unfolds.
