Horace Alexander Young

Having contributed to 100+ significant studio and live recordings (in these various capacities), Horace Alexander Young has also performed and toured extensively with such artists as - Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Bill Withers, The McCoy Tyner Big Band, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Carol Kaye, Candido Camero, Joe Williams, James Brown, Johnny Nash, The Spinners, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Manhattans, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, David “Fathead” Newman, O.C. Smith, Bobbi Humphrey, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Regina Belle, Dionne Warwick, Jono Manson, Tadeu Coelho, Patti LaBelle, Dianne Reeves, Nancy Wilson, Siedah Garrett, Arnett Cobb, Lucy Arnaz, Billy Paul, Michael Cooper, Bobby McFerrin, Peabo Bryson, Jeffrey Osborne, Patti Austin, Freda Payne, Kenny Barron, Roberta Flack, Norman Brown, Richard Elliot, Alvin Batiste, Marvin Stamm, Jennifer Holiday, Donnie McClurkin, Tish Hinahosa, Jonathan Butler, Youssou N’ Dour, Leon Ndugu Chancler, Bobby Lyle, George Coleman, Milt Hinton, Dave Liebman, Terence Blanchard, Hank Marr, Kim Waters, Doc Powell, Bill Champlin, The Chi- Lites, The Coasters, Alex Acuna, The Ojays, George Duke, The Jazz Crusaders (Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Wayne Henderson, Hubert Laws and David T. Walker), Ray Parker, Jr., John Kurzweg, Scott Jarrett, Bobby Lyle, Kirk Whalum, Roseanna Vitro, Barrie Lee Hall, Anita Moore, Sheila Moore Piper, Mark Levine, Kathy Kossins, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Cyrus Chestnut, Mark Ledford, Brian Hardgroove, Gary Hobbs, Greta Matasa, Roberta Donnay, Brian Lynch, Tihomir “Tiho” Dimitrov, Greg Yasinitsky’s YAZZ Big Band and The Duke Ellington Orchestra.

His saxophone, flute and vocal skills have thrilled audiences in twenty countries across five continents at major Jazz festivals in Montreux, Hamburg, Leipzig, London, Paris, The Hague, British Columbia, Berlin, New York, New Orleans, Detroit, Tokyo, Houston, Seattle, Gent, Cape Town, Leverkusen, and Glasgow. He also spent 17 years of that time working as Musical Director and a featured soloist with 2019 NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim, for whom he wrote numerous arrangements in various instrumental settings, contributed to two studio recordings, several noted television appearances and two award- winning films.

In addition to touring, recording, and writing, in recent years he served as Chair of the Contemporary Music Program at Santa Fe University of Art and Design (2014-2017) and Interim Director of Jazz Studies at Texas Southern University (2008-2014) - where he conducted the Texas Southern Jazz Experience Big Band and The Joe Sample Jazz Orchestra (with Artist-In-Residence, Joe Sample). In addition to those appointments, he taught on the music faculty at Houston Community College (2010-2014), Washington State University (1998-2008 and 2015-2022), Sonoma State University (1983-84) and Rutgers University (1984-85).

As a studio musician, he is very active as a featured soloist, session singer and he is the principal arranger and saxophonist with the NBS Hornz- with trumpeter Myron W. Jackson, III and trombonist, Andre Hayward.  Mr. Young is in constant demand as an adjudicator and as a guest performer for numerous festivals and schools throughout the USA, Canada and abroad. He also performs as a sideman with noted recording/touring artists and as a leader of his own group, ENTOUCHE. His recent recordings are found on the Pacific Coast Jazz label.