Singer, keyboardist, and saxophonist Miles Shannon, aka Cassowary, is known for his deeply atmospheric, fever-dream fusion of jazz, funk, minimalist electronic, hip-hop, and psychedelia-laced R&B. It's a kaleidoscopically genre-bending sound he debuted on 2020's Cassowary. Born in Inglewood, California, Shannon grew up in Los Angeles, where he excelled at the saxophone while attending the prestigious Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. There, he studied under tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, and gained valuable early experience playing alongside jazz luminaries like Gary Smulyan, Eric Reed, Gerald Clayton, and Terrell Stafford. He initially considered pursuing a music degree, but following his graduation moved to New York to hone his skills in the competitive club circuit. However, by the time he arrived in NYC, he had already begun a creative shift away from jazz traditionalism and towards a more cross-pollinated brand of jazz and R&B-informed pop. Along with sitting in at jazz clubs, he began composing, drawing inspiration from an eclectic mix of artists including Steve Reich and Philip Glass, Prince, Miles Davis, A Tribe Called Quest, Pink Floyd, and others. After five months in New York, Shannon returned to Los Angeles, where he ensconced himself in the vibrant West Coast funk, hip-hop, and turntable culture. He reconnected with his childhood friend Thebe Kgositsile, aka Earl Sweatshirt, and in 2015 he made his recorded debut playing piano on Sweatshirt's lauded album I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside. More live shows followed and in April 2020, Shannon released his genre-bending eponymous debut album, Cassowary, on Fat Possum Records. Included on the record were the spotlight tracks "Belt Notch!," "She Funked Me," and "Cyclical" with Tyler Cole. ~ Matt Collar