Cliff Sarde

Jazz multi-instrumentalist Cliff Sarde began his recording career in 1983 with the release of Every Bit Better, which established his basic sound: accessible, saxophone-led jazz fusion. Waiting followed three years later. Sarde then signed to Passport Jazz and issued Dreams Out Loud in 1987. Another label shift saw him releasing his next record, Honest & True, on ProJazz in 1989. All of these albums feature Sarde on sax, flute, guitar, and keyboards. He went a step further with his project Smoke 'n Function, writing and performing all of the music himself. Released in 1999, Smoke 'n Function built on his previous efforts, expanding his smooth jazz style with world beats and hints of electronica. At the beginning of the 2000s, Sarde collaborated with flutist R. Carlos Nakai. The resulting album, Enter Tribal, appeared in 2001. Sarde has also enjoyed success composing music for television. He has received numerous ADDY Awards for his music created for commercials, and his scoring work on the PBS documentary Thieves of Time earned Sarde a Rocky Mountain Emmy. ~ Jeremy Frey