A product of the San Francisco area, Harvey Wainapel established himself as one of the most promising and versatile jazz saxophonists of his generation; primarily known for his prowess on the soprano, he also proved a fine alto and tenor player. After receiving his early training at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Wainapel spent the latter half of the '70s in Europe, honing his craft in a variety of musical contexts, including a year as lead alto and featured soloist with the Frankfurt-based German Radio Big Band. Upon returning to the U.S., he toured with Ray Charles for ten months before settling in the Bay Area in 1982, subsequently performing with artists including McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Johnny Coles, and Billy Hart. Finally, in 1992, Wainapel released his first lead date, At Home/On the Road; three years later, he returned with Ambrosia: The Music of Kenny Barron, recorded in Europe with the Dutch National Orchestra as well as a Brazilian octet. In 1996, he toured as a member of Joe Lovano's group. ~ Jason Ankeny