Zane Musa (January 1, 1979 – February 2, 2015) was an

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

saxophonist and vocalist. Musa was raised in the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...

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. His works have been showcased by artists including Arturo Sandoval, Roy Hargrove,

Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known professionally as Macy Gray, is an American contemporary R&B, R&B and soul music, soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influence ...

, John Mayer, Lupe Fiasco,

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

, The Nikhil Korula Band, and Karina Corradini. He played in the house bands of several television shows, including The Voice, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Carson Daly Show. He was a regular player in Hollywood clubs and was invited to play with several bands, including Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. Some of his final work was touring and recording with Arturo Sandoval. He was featured on Sandoval's recording, "Be Bop." Musa's solo

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

CD/ LP was released under the independent label Straight Ahead Records, founded by

Bernie Grundman Bernie Grundman (born 16 December 1943, Minneapolis) is an American audio engineer. He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chr ...

and Stewart Levine, producers for various artists including Dave Sandburn, Simply Red,

Jamie Cullum Jamie Paul Joseph Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, pianist, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He h ...

, and The Crusaders. As a soloist,

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a dance band, rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhyth ...

, and sideman, Musa has performed in venues including the Playboy Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center, IAJE conventions in

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and

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, the Syracuse Jazz Festival, the Blue Whale, and Catalina. Although Musa's roots were in classic and improvisational jazz, he also worked to bring forth a blend of jazz and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

Early years

Musa began his musical career studying

tap dance Tap dance (or tap) is a form of dance that uses the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion; it is often accompanied by music. Tap dancing can also be performed with no musical accompaniment; the sound of the taps is its ow ...

with his brother, Chance Taylor. By junior high school, Musa began playing the saxophone and made it his main focus. He went to Van Nuys High School in the Performing Arts Magnet Program. He received his music degree from the

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a Private university, private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for ...

, where he received a full scholarship.

Personal life

Musa had four siblings: his brother, tap teacher and musical inspiration Chance Taylor; his brothers Omar and Sam Musa; and his sister Yasmin Manley. His mother, Rebecca Musa, and father, Awad Musa, encouraged his musical career from the start. The

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

featured a story on July 9, 2002, about Musa performing saxophone in Skid Row alongside bassist Ravi Knypstra.

Notability

Don Heckman saw Musa at the Catalina Jazz Club when he was 17 years old and commented that he was ''"a name to remember."'' He has played for Arturo Sandoval, Roy Hargrove,

, and John Mayer. Rhythm Planet called him one of the most talented saxophonists in the LA jazz scene.

Death

Musa died on February 2, 2015, in Florida. He fell from a Fort Lauderdale Airport parking structure after playing at an annual jazz cruise the night of February 1. He was transported to Broward Health Hospital, where he was declared dead the following day.

Discography

* (2005) ''Introducing Zane Musa'', (Straight Ahead Recordings)

Credits

* (2014) ''Heaven'' – Robert Francis & the Night Tide (Saxophone) * (2014) ''Moving On'' – Kan Wakan (Saxophone) * (2013) ''The Best Man Holiday'' (soundtrack) (Saxophone) * (2012) ''Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You)'' – Arturo Sandoval (Featured guest artist, alto saxophone) * (2011) ''Endless Planets'', – Austin Peralta (Alto saxophone) * (2009) ''JLB Jazz Collective With Jason Gamer'' – JLB Jazz Collective (Alto saxophone) * (2009) ''Reminiscence: Live!'' – Phil Ranelin (Group member, alto saxophone) * (2005) ''Gravity Always Wins'' – Dave Tough (Saxophone) * (2005) ''Static Trampoline'' – Chris Pierce (Alto saxophone) * (2004) ''Inspiration'' – Phil Ranelin (Main personnel, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone) * (2004) ''The Mother Funk Conspiracy'' – Mother Funk Conspiracy (Main personnel, alto saxophone) * (2003) ''The War of Women'' – Joe Firstman (Saxophone) * (2001) ''Orcastra'' – Jon Bare (Group member, Saxophone) * (1999) ''Christmas Party Pack elta' (Saxophone) * (1999) ''Holiday Moods'' (Alto saxophone, tenor saxophone) * (1997) ''Holiday Sax Fantasy'' (Primary artist, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone) * (1997) ''Ultimate Christmas Party Pack'' (Primary artist, saxophone)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Musa, Zane 1979 births 2015 deaths American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists American male jazz musicians 20th-century American saxophonists