Paul Howards on jazzinorlando.com!

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Paul Howards style has been described as heartfelt, melodic, and seductive. Each of these elements are something on their own, together they're something else! And the classy, sincere delivery makes it just a little more, it makes it both very cool ... and very hot! In a genre where predictability too often takes precedence over innovation, Paul stands apart as a performer whose music makes a difference. With a taste of funk, a little hip-hop, and some retro-soul Paul alternates between aggressive alto and cool romantic tenor sax ... often on the same track. This sound is anything but ordinary. In fact it's so extraordinary we couldn't keep it quiet! We all knew Paul was good, and in a way we wanted to keep him to ourselves. But this level of talent hasn't gone unnoticed ... yep, the rest of the world has discovered him. He's away from home often touring as the saxophonist with pop group 'N Sync, and with pop/rap singer Justin Timberlake. He still plays dates close to home whenever he can ... so keep an eye on the Calendar! Check out his performance dates in the Orlando area ... as well as the Southeast, and across the country!

*More on Paul Howards!* Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Howards' early sax life — he began playing in the school band at age 10 — involved being part of a highly decorated high school band ensemble which performed nationwide and in Europe (including Montreux). "Playing sax was a natural thing for me," he says. "I fell in love with it from the very beginning. I remember finally choosing it over the French horn when, during a winter concert in which I played both, I put down the horn and did a solo sax concerto in the middle. I felt so connected to the audience. It's just a better means of expression." He studied Music Education at Western Michigan University for two years before receiving a full scholarship to study studio music and jazz at the University of Miami. "I grew up listening to everything from Led Zeppelin to Buddy Rich and pop radio. Later I realized that the big band music was what led me to gravitate toward jazz ... Coltrane, Cannonball, and Miles. It was all about exploring what made me feel the best." He played in a twelve-piece big show band at the City Limits club in Ft. Lauderdale for a year-and-a-half. This led to an opportunity to mix some of his strong original material into the general Top 40 presentation. The opportunity to start an original band, work for Disney, and compose for well-known music libraries led him to relocate to his adopted hometown of Orlando. For years he and his band played at least eight dates a month at the Jazz Company at Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island, and he's built an impressive career in the music library field. "I record all kinds of music, from classical, to jazz, to string quartet, to Christmas, and put them on CDs. They then go out around the world to be used in advertising and other media outlets as source music, from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous to various soap operas," he explains. "Through Powerhouse Music and other libraries I've done over 30 of them." Never forgetting his listeners Howards says, "While I'm always evolving as a player, I feel my greatest asset is my ability to create strong melodies, which connect with audiences, and put on live shows that touch and energize people." He really does accomplish that goal often. As a happy coincidence, Howards once received a notecard from someone who saw one of his performances. It matched, perfectly, the description of his goal to touch and energize people. The note said that the writer hadn't written fan mail before, but they wanted Paul to know that he and his band gave a great performance with a tremendous amount of energy. Who could ask for anything more? Howards and his band have performed with smooth jazz greats George Benson, Ramsey Lewis, Manhattan Transfer, Spyro Gyra and Rick Braun. JazzIN' Orlando! can't wait for Paul to energize audiences at his next O-Town dates!
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