Paul Winter

Real Name: Paul Theodore Winter, Jr.

Paul Winter (born August 31, 1939 in Altoona, Pennsylvania) is an American saxophonist (alto and soprano saxophone), and is a seven-time Grammy Award winner.

At Northwestern University in Chicago Winter formed The Paul Winter Sextet. In 1961 the group won the Intercollegiate Jazz Festival and was signed by Columbia Records. The Sextet recorded a total of five albums in the early and mid 1960s and were among the first to blend Brazilian bossa nova and folk music with their jazz. In 1962 the band toured Latin America as cultural ambassadors for the United States State Department, playing 160 concerts in 23 countries. The Sextet was also the first jazz band to perform at the White House.

In 1965 and 1966 Winter lived in Brazil, recording two albums in Rio De Janiero with native musicians. After his return to the United States, Winter formed a new group, The Winter Consort, in 1967. They were signed by A&M Records and released their first, self-titled album the following year. Since then Winter has released a long string of successful albums blending jazz, folk, world and new age music with the Consort, as a solo artist, or in collaboration with various members of the Consort. The Consort's 1972 release, "Icarus", was produced by George Martin and remains one of their best known and most recognized works. In 1980 Winter started his own Living Music label, which has released his works and the works of many musicians who have been associated with him. Around that time his group was renamed The Paul Winter Consort.