Onaje Allan Gumbs

Onaje Allan Gumbs is one of the music industry's most respected and talented musical collaborators. He has worked for more than 20 years with an illustrious list of jazz, R&B and pop artists. In 1974, Onaje created a special arrangement of "Stella By Starlight" for the New York Jazz Repertory Company as part of a concert honoring Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall. That same year, he performed on Woody Shaw's album, Moontrane. Later that year, he joined forces with trumpeter Nat Adderley and his quintet, contributing to the group's Atlantic and Steeplechase Records. Nils Winter, of Steeplechase, upon hearing Onaje's solo improvisation on several of Adderley's performances, approached the young pianist to record a solo piano album entitled ONAJE.

In 1985, Onaje further heightened his visibility by contributing his arrangement of "Lady in My Life" to guitarist Stanley Jordan's enormously successful album, Magic Touch. In unprecedented fashion, the recorded successfully maintained the Number One spot atop Billboard's jazz charts for 37 weeks, the only jazz album in history to achieve such acclaim.

In 1986, Onaje received the "Min-on-Art Award" ...in recognition of his great contribution to the promotion and development of a new musical movement for people with the aim of the creation of peace..." Previous recipients of this prestigious honor include Tina Turner, Herbie Hancock, Buster Williams and Wayne Shorter.

Motivated by his goal for world peace, Onaje, a member of SGI-USA uses the practice of Nicherin Daishonin's Buddhism as a philosophical and technical approach for the preparation of his albums. In addition to the release of THAT SPECIAL PART OF ME and DARE TO DREAM, Onaje keeps very busy performing, producing, arranging and songwriting. Onaje has composed for such artists as Will Downing, Vanessa Rubin, Bob Baldwin, Gerald Albright, Boys Choir of Harlem, Billy Cobham, Kevin Eubanks, John Blake, Stanley Jordan and Kenny Burrell.

"Music has a healing force that is immeasurable and can effect so many aspects of people's lives. Music has a power, I feel, to inspire a person to really bring out the good that is there. My objective is to hopefully touch that part of each person.