Биография

With a big, meaty tone that balances sweetness, emotion, and spiritual power, saxophonist Cameron Ross is a popular purveyor of the emerging "gospel jazz" movement (also known alternately as "smooth gospel" and "inspirational jazz") that marries contemporary jazz, soul, and gospel music to 21st century liturgical praise & worship music. His 2012 debut album New Perspective debuted to a worldwide audience on CoffeeTalk Jazz Radio and turned on listeners with its seamless meld of elegant funky jazz, hip-hop beats that update sounds by the great gospel jazz saxophonist Vernard Johnson, and the slick, accessible, yet technically savvy grooves of Kirk Whalum. Ross was born in Arkansas into a large family of musicians and singers and was involved in his church's music program from a very young age. In an interview Ross revealed that he always knew he would have a vocation in music, but had no idea how it would play out. His first love was drums and sought to join his school band. He was told in no uncertain terms by his parents that he had to play saxophone. He resisted it initially because the instrument had so many buttons that he just didn't want to learn. In the band, he consistently sat in the last chair of the saxophone section -- until he got tired of that and began to work at the horn. He won first chair by the very next school year and held it throughout high school. Ross began playing in church at the age of 14 along with his brother Byron, who played the trumpet. Along with some other church musicians, they formed "The Promiseland Band." They performed at church and other functions in town. As its members got older, other interests claimed precedence over the band and they split. Ross began a solo career at 16, traveling across the state to play at different functions. For his effort and dedication, he received a full scholarship to Arkansas State University where he earned a Bachelor's of Music Education degree. He began to branch out by hiring on as a live sideman with a host of artists including Kirk Whalum, Ben Tankard, Nick Colionne, Althea Rene, and Karen Clark. He relocated to Memphis, where he began teaching music in the city's schools and became its band director. Ross began playing select television gigs on the TBN network and the Bobby Jones Gospel Show. Ross also spent a sizable amount of time woodshedding and gigging with other players working in straightahead and smooth jazz, soul, and funk. He also served as jazz chairman for the West Tennessee Band and Orchestra Association. Ross issued New Perspective in 2012, his debut full-length. It won acclaim from jazz radio, and national gospel and contemporary Christian music stations. The set wove together originals as well as gospel and contemporary worship covers, and made the smooth jazz charts. In the aftermath, Ross toured hard and continued his work a speaker and educator. With his professional and family responsibilities, and touring, it took four long years for Ross to begin tracking his sophomore outing Power. He employed a cast of producers who included Johnathan Davenport, Dimitri Turner, Henry Walker, and Donyea Goodman. The concept was to render some of the best-loved praise & worship songs and contemporary gospel favorites in the smooth jazz idiom with help from high-powered guests like flutist Kim Scott (on "The Prayer," originally recorded in duet by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion) and saxophonist Donald Hayes ("Power"). The advance single, " Our God," was released to Christian and smooth jazz radio where it did well enough to warrant a second in "Jump," which landed not only at radio but on the streaming charts. Power was issued in June of 2017 to acclaim from critics and smooth jazz fans. It landed on Christian streaming charts across the U.S. and prompted a North American headline tour by Ross and his band. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi