Born in West London of Jamaican parents, Gary Crosby has been acknowledged as one of this country's pioneer Black British jazz talents and one of the most important bandleaders in the UK.
Gary studied the double bass under Peter Ind and, from starting as a member of Ed Bentley's band, went on to work with many accomplished artists such as George Lee, Frank Roberts, Peter Segona and Roger Thomas.
In 1985, Gary became one of the founder members of the Jazz Warriors, the formation of which was one of the most important events in British jazz history. Since then, he has played with other notable luminaries including Courtney Pine, Ernest Ranglin (Garys uncle), Art Farmer, Gary Bartz, Eddie Henderson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Sonny Fortune, Stanley Turrentine, Jean Toussaint, Julian Joseph, Art Blakey, Jon Hendricks, Larry Coryell, Carmen Lundy, Marlene Shaw, Vanessa Rubin, Steve Williamson, Julian Joseph, Orphy Robinson, Johnny Griffin, Cleveland Watkiss, and more.
Gary leads three key bands of his own (Gary Crosby's Nu Troop, Jazz Jamaica, Jazz Jamaica All Stars - see www.myspace.com/nutroop and www.myspace.com/jazzjamaica) providing regular employment for several young musicians. In many ways, he is regarded as a latter-day Art Blakey figure, using his own outfits as a platform for talented young artists to develop their profiles. All of his bands have toured internationally and are ranked amongst the best bands in world.
Gary is well known for his unbounded and tireless commitment to helping young people - musicians, dancers, writers and visual artists - develop successful careers in jazz, and this has been duly acknowledged by his receipt, in 1993, of a Straight No Chaser magazine award for services to the industry and, later, in his entries in the Grove Encyclopaedia of Jazz, the Guinness Book of Who's Who In Jazz, The Rough Guide To Jazz and several other music reference publications. Over the years, he has gained the respect of musicians, promoters, arts organisations and others involved in the music industry, not only for his musical skills, but also for his vision and ability to make things happen.
