Based out of Nashville TN, Chris West has been performing, composing/arranging, and teaching since 1998. An accomplished saxophonist/woodwindist, West has been working as a freelance musician, as well as touring internationally with several groups for over 20 years. West holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music Performance/Composition, and a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies. His music and arrangements have been nominated for and won several awards and contests including a nomination for a Nashville Music Award in 1998 for his song “Dreams”, three songs in the semi finals (and one in the finals) of the International Song Writing Competition in 2011 and 2020, and won first place in the Instrumental Music category of the 2020 Great American Song Contest for his song “Complete Control”. In 2014, West played and arranged horns on Mike Farris’s Grammy winning album “Shine For All The People”. West’s first solo album entitled “Jazzmanic” was released in 2006 and features 9 original compositions. In 2011, he followed that up with a three album release entitled “The Surprise Trilogy”, which has been reviewed in several publications including Downbeat and Jazztimes, and has received international radio play. West has arranged, recorded, performed, and toured with many artists including My Morning Jacket, Brenda Lee, Charles Walker, Carrier Underwood, Johnny Reid, Dr. Lonnie Smith, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Jack White, Little Big Town, Shania Twain, and many others. His original music has been featured in many movies and TV shows including “Blackish”, “Togetherness”, “Queen Sugar”, “Star”, “The Originals”, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, and several others. Currently, West continues to release original music, as singles, and features them in his weekly Youtube videos and live streams. He also leads and composes for an 11 piece funky-jazz ensemble called the JunkYard Horns.

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