Jeff Oster
Jeff Oster
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Jeff Oster (born 1957) is a Grammy-nominated[1] American musician who specializes in trumpet and flugelhorn in the New Age music genre. He is a member of the four-piece band Flow. Oster's style has been described as "Miles Davis meets Pink Floyd."[2] He is a three-time winner of the Independent Music Awards[3][4][5] and ten-time winner of the Zone Music Reporter Awards (formerly NAR LifeStyle Music Awards).[6][7][8][9] He was featured on the Laura Sullivan's Grammy-winning album Love's River.[10][11] Flow's debut album reached number 4 on the Billboard New Age Albums Chart in 2017.

Early life

[edit]

Oster grew up in Highland Park, Illinois. After several moves, he attended Coral Gables Senior High School in Florida, and was a member of their marching band "Cavaliers Band of Distinction"[12][13] The band's director William Ledue was influential in his formation as a trumpeter and got him his first job playing "Taps" at the funeral of a veteran.[13] In 1978, at age 19, Oster discovered Chuck Mangione's album "Feels So Good" which led him to order a Yamaha Flugelhorn that he still plays today.[13] Oster was inducted into the Coral Gables Hall of Fame in 2023.[14]

After high school through 1987 Oster performed with a variety of acts including three piece power rock trio in Miami, Los Angeles and performed in big bands and as a horn player with R&B bands, and a casino lounge band that toured Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Atlantic City.[13]

During this time, Oster wrote singer/songwriter music and unsuccessfully tried to get them covered by other artists. After struggling ten years living in Los Angeles he decided turned to writing original music. In 1987, at the recommendation of a friend, Oster passed his Series 7 exam, became a financial advisor,[15] and decided to save enough money to hire professionals to record his music.[13]  

New age transition

[edit]

By 2003, Oster started writing instrumental horn music when he purchased a personal computer with music creation software on it. After uploading performances of that music to MP3.com, he found that four songs were downloaded at a rate of 40,000 per month and were on the website's Top Ten Downloads list.[15]

Oster connected with Will Ackerman, the founder of Windham Hill Records, an artist Oster had been listening to and playing along with since 1979. In late 2003, Oster and Ackerman recorded four of these tracks on his debut extended play (EP) album At Last. The title song from At Last won the Best New Age Song award at the 5th Annual Independent Music Awards in 2006.[15][3]

Oster's first full-length album titled RELEASED in 2005 which received the 2005 Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album awards at the NAR Lifestyle Music Awards, voted on by broadcasters.[7]

Continuing musical career

[edit]

In 2007, Oster teamed up again with Ackerman on TRUE. The first track of the album, Saturn Calling, won the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards' Best New Age Song in 2008.[5][4][3] The album also won the Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album awards at the NAR Lifestyle Music Awards.[6][16]

Oster's SURRENDER album, released in 2011, received Zone Music Reporter's Album of the Year and Best Chill/Groove Album awards.[8][17] The nationally syndicated NPR radio show Echoes' staff selected the album for their 25 Essential CDs for 2011.[18]

In 2015, Oster released his album next. It received Zone Music Reporter's Album of the Year and Best Chill/Groove Album awards[19][20]

In 2016, Oster also released Jeff Oster Live! from performances at The Fenix in San Rafael.[21]

In 2018, Oster released Reach.[22][23]

In 2019, Oster's album REACH won the Best New Age Album Award and his song "Five Great Mountains" won the Best New Age Song Award at the Independent Music Awards.[24] REACH received Zone Music Reporter's Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.[25]

Collaborations

[edit]

NASA

[edit]

In 2007, Oster took the sound rendering of data collected by the Cassini spacecraft's radio and plasma wave science instruments as the basis for the song "Saturn Calling" which appeared as the first track on his album "TRUE." The song received the Best New Age Song award at 7th Annual Independent Music Awards in 2008.[26][3]

Blue Eternity

[edit]

Oster also performs with Michael Manring (founder of the group Montreux) and Carl Weingarten (a founding member of the progressive rock group, Delay Tactics) in a group called Blue Eternity.[27][28] They perform at venues such as the Fujitsu Planetarium at De Anza College in Cupertino, CA.[29]

Laura Sullivan

[edit]

In 2012, Oster was a featured artist on two tracks of Laura Sullivan's Grammy Award-winning album Love's River.[10][11][30]

Pete Seeger

[edit]

In 2013, Oster and other artists wrote and performed music on Pete Seeger's spoken word album Pete Seeger: The Storm King; Stories, Narratives, Poems,[31] which Seeger released at the age of 93.[32] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.[33]

Flow

[edit]

In 2015, guitarist Lawrence Blatt, pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins, producer/guitarist William Ackerman, and Oster formed the group Flow. They recorded the self-titled album Flow, released in 2017.[34]

The album was #4 in Billboard's New Age Album chart on October 28.[35] The album received the ‘New Age Album of the Year’ at the 16th Annual Independent Music Awards.[36] It held the #1 position on the ZoneMusicReporter's (ZMR) Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart for two months, was nominated for and won two ZMR awards, ’Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Contemporary Instrumental Album’, at 14th Annual ZMR Awards.[9]

In 2019 Flow released the album Promise.[37]

Deepak Chopra

[edit]

In 2017, Deepak Chopra, a prominent figure in the New Age movement, together with Kabir Sehgal and Paul Avgerinos published a book titled "Home: Where Everyone is Welcome," featuring 34 poems and accompanied by a CD of twelve songs inspired by immigrants cultural contribution to the United States.[38] Along with Chopra, Sehgal, and Avgerinos, Oster and Ackerman co-produced the CD with Oster performing on three tracks.[39]

Departure

[edit]

In 2018, Oster began performing with FLOW's co-producer Tom Eaton and guitarist Vin Downes in a group they named Departure[40] and appeared on an Echoes streaming "living room concert." One of the songs performed in the streaming concert appears on Echoes album, Victoria Place: Echoes Live 23.[41] Departure has also performed at the 1867 Sanctuary Arts & Culture Center in Ewing, NJ.[42]

Brothers

In July, 2021, Oster, William Ackerman and Tom Eaton began to record the album Brothers. Originally, Brothers was conceived by Oster as a collaboration with Ackerman, but based on Eaton's contributions, Eaton was made a "brother" and given equal billing. Recording took place at Eaton's studio in Newburyport, MA and Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont. Eaton performed on piano, keyboard, bass, percussion, and electric guitar, Ackerman performed on acoustic guitar, and Oster performed on flugelhorn and trumpet.[43][44] The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.[1]

In 2023 Oster released a lo-fi album, hØwling lØØn, which has been submitted for nomination to the 66th Grammy Awards.[45][46]

Influences and style

[edit]

Oster has said "As I've grown, I've been inspired by Bill Chase, and Herb Alpert, and Miles Davis and Chris Botti, along with Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Will Ackerman, Yes, U2, and today by artists such as Kendrick Lamar."[2]

Oster's style has been often described as "Miles Davis meets Pink Floyd"[2] or "Miles Davis meets Enya."[44]

Financial services career

[edit]

Oster has been working in financial services. From 1988 to 1994 he worked with Independent Advantage Financial where he became a senior vice president and national sales manager.[47] From 1994 to 1997, he worked with Prudential Securities as a senior vice president in investments, and since then has served as a Registered Principal and Branch Manager of Raymond James Financial.[47]

Discography

[edit]
  • At Last (EP, 2004)
  • Released (2005)
  • True (2007)
  • Surrender (2011)
  • Next (2015)
  • Jeff Oster Live! (2016)
  • Reach (2018)
  • Brothers (2021)
  • hØwling lØØn (2023)

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Jeff Oster

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from Grokipedia
Jeff Oster is an American flugelhornist, trumpeter, and composer known for his atmospheric and melodic contributions to the new age and contemporary instrumental music genres. [1] Born in the United States, Oster began his musical journey in South Florida after moving there in 1970, playing trumpet in junior high and high school bands, including three years in the Cavaliers Band of Distinction at Coral Gables Senior High School. [1] He performed professionally from the late 1970s in rock and rhythm-and-blues groups before relocating to Los Angeles in 1979 to pursue a full-time music career, where he worked in diverse settings ranging from casino lounges to studio sessions. [1] After a period working outside music to support his ambitions, Oster returned to original composition in 2003 and released his debut album Released in 2005, produced by Windham Hill founder Will Ackerman; it earned Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album honors at the 2005 NewAgeReporter Lifestyle Music Awards. [1] His follow-up album True also received critical acclaim, including NAR Album of the Year in 2007 and Best New Age Song at the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards in 2008. [1] Oster has since released numerous solo albums through his label Retso Records, co-founded the band Flow, and collaborated frequently with Ackerman and producer/bassist Tom Eaton, including on the Grammy-nominated album Brothers (2021), which earned a nomination for Best New Age Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. [1] In 2023, he was inducted into the Coral Gables Senior High School Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements and the lasting impact of his early musical experiences. [1]

Early life

Upbringing and education

Jeff Oster was born in Danville, Illinois. [2] His family relocated frequently during his childhood, living in several states including Virginia, Ohio, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Illinois before settling in Florida. [2] Oster spent time growing up in Highland Park, Illinois, where he attended third grade and first encountered music in a school setting. [2] [3] His family relocated to Coral Gables, Florida, in 1970. [1] He attended Ponce de Leon Junior High School, where he joined the band and orchestra, before transferring to Coral Gables Senior High School, where he joined the Cavaliers Band of Distinction marching band for his sophomore through senior years (approximately 1972–1975). [1] He graduated with the class of 1975. [4] In 2023, Oster was inducted into the Coral Gables Senior High School Hall of Fame for his distinguished career achievements. [5] [1]

Early musical experiences

Jeff Oster began playing the trumpet at the age of eight while living in Highland Park, Illinois, after being drawn to the instrument in his school band room. [3] [6] Under the direction of band leader William "Uncle Willie" LeDue, Oster served as a lead trumpet player in the highly regarded 200-member band, participating in an extensive schedule that included marching at football games, parades such as Miracle Mile, Orange Bowl halftime shows, and a 15-day European tour during his sophomore year that featured performances across five countries and a concert under the Eiffel Tower. [1] LeDue proved particularly influential, arranging Oster's first paid performance—playing "Taps" at a veteran's funeral—for which he received $10. [4] Following his 1975 graduation, Oster played professionally in the Miami area, including in three-piece rock bands in North Miami Beach and on flugelhorn in rhythm and blues groups. [1] Around this time, inspired by Chuck Mangione's 1977 hit album Feels So Good, he acquired a Yamaha flugelhorn—the only one he has ever owned and the same model Mangione used on the recording—which remains in use today. [7] [8] In 1979, Oster relocated to Los Angeles to pursue music full-time, where he continued performing through the 1980s in diverse settings such as power rock trios, big bands, R&B horn sections, and casino lounge bands. [6] These engagements included tours to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Atlantic City, along with gigs at weddings, bar mitzvahs, and Los Angeles clubs. [6] During this period, he also attempted to place original singer/songwriter material with other artists, though without success. [9]

Financial services career

Professional roles and progression

Jeff Oster began his career in financial services in 1987 after passing the Series 7 exam, at the recommendation of a friend who suggested the field to capitalize on Oster's sales skills and provide a more stable income to support his music recording ambitions. [10] From 1988 to 1994, Oster worked at Independent Advantage Financial, one of the nation's largest independent insurance marketing agencies, where he served as Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager. [11] He was named Salesman of the Year for six consecutive years and helped clients invest over $70 million annually with major insurance and annuity companies. [11] Between 1994 and 1997, Oster was Senior Vice President – Investments at Prudential Securities, ranking in the top ten nationally in personal annuity and insurance production while leading his branch to the number one position in annuity sales nationwide for 1996 and 1997. [11] In 1997, he joined Raymond James Financial Services as Registered Principal and Branch Manager, a role he held until 2022. [11] During this period, he was consistently one of the firm's top annuity producers in the PCA insurance agency subsidiary and managed sales training and oversight for more than 200 account specialists. [11] Oster has personally assisted clients in investing over $500 million in annuity, insurance, mutual fund, bond, equity, and managed account products, while guiding the placement of over $1 billion in annuities since entering the industry. [11]

Musical career

Hiatus and return to music

After approximately ten years struggling as a musician in Los Angeles, Jeff Oster transitioned to a full-time career in financial services around 1987. [10] He continued his professional career in financial services during this period of reduced music activity. [10] Serious music activity resumed around 2003 after a long break from performing, marked by collaborations that brought him back to creative output. [10] His first release upon this return was the At Last EP in 2004, an extended play recording that initiated a new phase of his musical career. [12]

Solo albums and releases

Jeff Oster's solo recording career resumed in the mid-2000s after a hiatus from music. His debut solo album, Released, appeared in 2005 and featured original compositions highlighting his flugelhorn and trumpet work in a contemporary jazz and new age style.[13] He followed with True in 2007, an album that gained particular attention for the track "Saturn Calling," which incorporated radio emissions recorded by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its exploration of Saturn. NASA highlighted the piece on its website, describing Oster's transformation of the planet's electromagnetic "songs" into ambient new age jazz.[14][15][16] Subsequent solo releases include Surrender in 2011, which explored edgier lounge-influenced territory with a personal sound; next. in 2015, noted for its collaborations including guitarist Nile Rodgers on the title track; and Jeff Oster Live! in 2016, a live recording captured at The Fenix in San Rafael, California, presenting dynamic performances of his catalog.[17][18][19][20][21] More recent solo efforts encompass Reach in 2018, continuing his signature atmospheric approach, and hØwling lØøn in 2023, a lo-fi oriented project emphasizing relaxed, introspective production.[22][23]

Collaborations and group projects

Jeff Oster has been involved in several notable group projects and collaborations in the new age and instrumental music genres, often blending acoustic, improvisational, and atmospheric elements. Oster co-founded the ensemble Flow with guitarist and producer Will Ackerman, pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins, and guitarist Lawrence Blatt.[24] The group formed from shared musical histories and friendships, with Oster contributing trumpet and flugelhorn. Their self-titled debut album Flow was released in 2017 and reached number 4 on the Billboard New Age Albums chart.[25] Flow followed with the album Promise in 2019, continuing their collaborative writing and recording at Imaginary Road Studios.[24] Oster formed the trio Departure in 2018 with Tom Eaton and Vin Downes, focusing on live improvisational performances, including a notable Echoes radio session captured and released in early 2018.[26] He has also collaborated with bassist Michael Manring and guitarist Carl Weingarten in the group Blue Eternity, known for live recordings and performances such as those from 2011.[27] In 2021, Oster joined Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton for the album Brothers, which earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Age Album.[28] As a guest artist, Oster contributed flugelhorn and trumpet to Laura Sullivan's Grammy-winning album Love's River in 2012.[29] He performed on Pete Seeger's spoken word album The Storm King in 2013. Oster also played flugelhorn on three tracks of the 2017 album Home: Where Everyone Is Welcome, a project led by Deepak Chopra, Kabir Sehgal, and Paul Avgerinos.[30]

Musical style and influences

Jeff Oster plays trumpet and flugelhorn, with a warm, lyrical tone that forms the emotional core of his music. [31] [32] His style emphasizes rich, melodic solos and soulful expression, often set against atmospheric soundscapes, intricate arrangements, and innovative blends of acoustic and electronic elements. [32] Oster's work spans genres including contemporary jazz, smooth jazz, ambient, new age, funk, and progressive rock influences, frequently characterized as Ambient New Age Funk. [32] [3] He combines jazz-rooted improvisation and melodic warmth with electronic beds, loops, beats, fusion grooves, and occasional world music colors to create a distinctive sound that prioritizes emotional resonance over strict adherence to traditional forms. [31] Oster has described his approach as remaining true to jazz principles while incorporating technology and experimental textures for a human-centered contrast to processed production. [32] [31] His music is often described as "Miles Davis meets Pink Floyd," a comparison that reflects the improvisational depth of jazz fused with groundbreaking, atmospheric, and indefinable qualities. [33] [3] Oster has cited Miles Davis and Pink Floyd as key inspirations, alongside other unique and innovative artists such as Steely Dan, Yes, Tangerine Dream, and others who created their own distinctive sounds. [3] [31] He focuses on tone, feeling, and warmth as his primary strengths, aiming to evoke emotional connection in compositions that blend acoustic horn lines with modern electronic and progressive elements. [31]

Film and television work

Composer credits

Jeff Oster's work as a composer for film and video is limited to two verified credits. He composed the music for Fair Is Fair, a 2011 video production. [34] In 2013, Oster provided the original score for Chance Reunion, a short film. [34] These two projects represent the full extent of his documented contributions to film and television scoring. [34]

Awards and recognition

Grammy nomination

In 2022, Jeff Oster received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Age Album as part of the collaborative project Brothers, recorded with Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton. [35] [36] The nomination recognized the album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, following its release in July 2021. [37] Despite the recognition, Brothers did not win the award. [38]

Independent Music Awards wins

Jeff Oster is a multiple winner at the Independent Music Awards, earning recognition in the New Age category across several years. He secured three wins in the Best New Age Song category, beginning with the title track from his album Released in 2006. [39] His composition "Saturn Calling," from the album of the same name, earned the Best New Age Song honor in 2008. [40] Oster received his third Best New Age Song win in 2019 for "Five Great Mountains" from the album REACH, which simultaneously claimed Best New Age Album at the 17th Annual Independent Music Awards. [41] In addition to his solo achievements, Oster's collaborative work with the group Flow—featuring Will Ackerman, Fiona Joy, and Lawrence Blatt—resulted in a win for New Age Album of the Year for their self-titled debut at the 16th Annual Independent Music Awards in 2018. [42] These accolades highlight Oster's consistent impact in the independent new age music scene through both individual compositions and group projects.

Zone Music Reporter awards

Jeff Oster has won numerous Zone Music Reporter awards (formerly known as NAR LifeStyle Music Awards), reflecting his consistent recognition in contemporary instrumental and chill music categories. [43] His debut album Released (2005) earned Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental. [44] This success continued with TRUE (2007), which also secured Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental. [44] Surrender (2011) followed with Album of the Year and Best Chill/Groove Album. [18] The album next. (2015) received Album of the Year and Best Chill/Groove Album. [43] REACH (2018) won Album of the Year. [45] Flow (2017), credited to the group FLOW featuring Oster alongside Fiona Joy, Lawrence Blatt, and Will Ackerman, earned Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental. [46]

References

  1. https://www.cavsconnect.com/features/2023/10/25/remembering-the-75-of-music-distinction-jeff-oster-gets-inducted/
  2. https://jeffoster.com/ambient-visions-interview/
  3. https://audiotheme.com/blog/artist-spotlight-jeff-oster/
  4. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/take-five-with-jeff-oster-jeff-oster-by-jeff-oster
  5. https://www.friendsofgableshigh.org/2023-hof-inductees/
  6. https://www.last.fm/music/Jeff+Oster/+wiki
  7. https://www.marinij.com/2015/12/03/alameda-island-musician-hopeful-for-grammy-nomination/
  8. https://www.mwe3.com/reviews/JeffOsterLive/
  9. https://grokipedia.com/page/jeff_oster
  10. https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2008/01/01/leader-of-the-band/
  11. https://osterfinancialservices.com/
  12. https://www.mwe3.com/reviews/JeffOster2011/
  13. https://music.jeffoster.com/album/released
  14. https://music.jeffoster.com/album/true
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/saturn-calling-by-jeff-oster/
  16. https://jeffoster.com/nasas-review-of-true/
  17. https://music.jeffoster.com/album/surrender
  18. https://jeffoster.com/records/surrender/
  19. https://music.jeffoster.com/album/next
  20. https://music.jeffoster.com/album/jeff-oster-live
  21. https://jeffoster.com/records/jeff-oster-live/
  22. https://music.jeffoster.com/album/reach
  23. https://music.jeffoster.com/album/h-wling-l-n-2
  24. https://flowthegroup.com/
  25. https://www.billboard.com/charts/new-age-albums/2017-10-28
  26. https://tomeaton1.bandcamp.com/album/departure-live-at-echoes-10-8-17
  27. https://music.jeffoster.com/track/blue-eternity-live-on-wxpns-stars-end
  28. https://music.jeffoster.com/
  29. https://laurasullivan.bandcamp.com/album/loves-river
  30. https://www.discogs.com/release/14147370-Paul-Avgerinos-Deepak-Chopra-Kabir-Sehgal-Home-Where-Everyone-Is-Welcome
  31. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jeff-oster-an-emotional-journey-into-sound-by-jakob-baekgaard
  32. https://jeffoster.com/about/
  33. https://jeffoster.bandcamp.com/
  34. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4302922/
  35. https://music.jeffoster.com/album/brothers-grammy-award-nominee-best-new-age-album
  36. https://tomeaton1.bandcamp.com/album/brothers
  37. https://www.williamackerman.com/shop/p/brothers-cd
  38. https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Will-Ackerman-Oster-Eaton/dp/B097DSZXC6
  39. https://jeffoster.bandcamp.com/track/at-last
  40. https://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=37385
  41. https://www.newagenotes.com/jeff-oster-artist-page/
  42. https://nowhearthis.bandcamp.com/album/now-hear-this-the-winners-of-the-16th-independent-music-awards
  43. https://www.wmky.org/arts-culture/2020-03-13/jeff-oster
  44. https://jeffoster.com/records/true/
  45. https://newagemusic.guide/zmr-music-awards/zmr-music-awards-winners/
  46. https://echoes.org/2018/05/15/zone-music-reporter-music-awards-2018/
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