Tim started playing alto saxophone at nine years old. He switched to the baritone saxophone in middle school. Growing up in the bay area (Berkeley/Oakland) gave Tim a rich tapestry of musical styles to learn and be influenced. As a child, Tim used to play in baptist churches around his neighborhood. He was also greatly influenced by the latin, R&B, funk and jazz music sounds which were a regular fixture on the music scene of the bay area in the 1980's. In middle school, Tim studied jazz with John Handy and started hanging out in the "neighborhood" where he would hear Joe Henderson, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Ed Kelly, The Escovedos, Tower of Power and a host of other local jazz musicians on a nightly basis. Tim was known as an energetic young musician who played baritone saxophone decently, and he was taken "under wing" during these early years and taught, during jazz jam sessions, the essence of jazz improvisation.
At eighteen Tim turned professional and he has been playing baritone saxophone professionally for over twenty years. He has played as a sideman behind The Temptations, The Four Tops, James Brown, The Dramatics, The Emotions, Bobby Blue Bland, Johnny Lee Hooker, The Spinners, Ike Turner, The Ink Spots, The Platters, The Bus Boys, The Pointer Sisters, The San Francisco Jazz All Stars, The Urban Jazz Collective (Los Angeles), and dozens of independent blues, R&B, rock and jazz performers/singers worldwide. In addition, Tim has also performed as a soloist internationally fronting his own jazz quartet (The Tim Mayo Quartet). Tim currently lives in the Los Angeles area and performs all over the city as a guest soloist, sideman and band leader. Tim also works as a studio musician, music educator and media entreprenuer.
To contact Tim Mayo, please leave email or call (818) 859-3194.
