Michael Paulo is a fine saxophonist who has thus far mostly played in the pop/jazz crossover field. Paulo grew up in a musical family (his father was a pianist and his mother a singer) but did not take up the saxophone until he was 15. He developed quickly and before he left high school was playing gigs around Hawaii. After graduation, Paulo became a member of the Hawaiian pop/rock band Kalapana (1975-79), recording four albums with the group. He also recorded with Herbie Hancock during this period. Paulo was a busy studio musician in Hawaii when he moved to Los Angeles in 1981. He played with Ray Armando, with a local r&b band and in 1983 became a member of Al Jarreau's touring band, working with the singer for a decade. In 1989 Michael Paulo recorded his first date as a leader (other than an earlier set for the Japanese Trio label), One Passion (MCA) which was a strong seller. He has since recorded pop-jazz dates for GRP and Noteworthy and worked with Patti Austin, David Benoit, Johnny Mathis and many others, concentrating on his solo career in recent years. ~ Scott Yanow