Tim Warfield, Jr. of York, PA, began studying the alto saxophone at age nine. He switched to tenor saxophone during his first year of High School where he participated in various musical ensembles, winning many jazz soloist awards including second out of forty competitors at the Montreal Festival of Music in Canada. After high school, Warfield attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. for two years before leaving to lead and co-lead groups in the Central Pennsylvania and Baltimore/Washington areas.In 1990 he was chosen to be a member of trumpeter and CBS/Sony recording artist Marlon Jordan's Quintet. In 1991 he was selected to record Tough Young Tenors on the Island/Antilles label, listed as one of the top ten recordings of the year by the New York Times. He also joined Jazz Futures, a world touring group assembled by George Wein to showcase some of the worlds brightest young stars in jazz. Also in 1991, Warfield placed third at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.Warfield has made several television appearances including the "Today Show," Bill Cosby's "You Bet Your Life" (where he was a member of the house band until 1992), and Ted Turner's "1998 Trumpet Awards." Additionally he has made numerous stage appearances with such names as Donald Byrd, Michelle Rosewoman, Marcus Miller, Marlon Jordan, James Williams, Christian McBride, The Harper Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie, Isaac Hayes, Shirley Scott, Jimmy Smith, Nicholas Payton, Charles Fambrough, Eric Reed, Carl Allen, Terell Stafford, Stefon Harris, Orrin Evans, The Newport Millennium All Stars, "Papa" John Defrancesco, Joey Defrancesco, Claudio Raggazzi, Danilo Perez, and others. In 1994, he joined bassist and Verve recording artist Christian McBrides group, where he remained a member until 1999.Warfield's first recording, "A Cool Blue," was selected as one of the top ten recordings of the year in a 1995 New York Times critics poll, as was his 1998 recording "Gentle Warrior' (featuring Cyrus Chestnut, Tarus Mateen, Clarence Penn, Terrell Stafford, and Nicholas Payton), proclaiming him possibly the most powerful tenor saxophonist of his generation.In 1999, he was awarded "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" in DownBeat Magazines 49th Annual Jazz Critics poll. In 2000, alongside crooner Loston Harris, Warfield performed at the MTV GQ Men of the Year Awards in New York City.In the fall of 1999 Warfield exclusively joined forces with New Orleans trumpeter and recording artist Nicholas Payton.Warfield has appeared on several GRAMMY-nominated recordings such as Stefon Harris' "The Grand Unification Theory," as well as "Dear Louis" and "Sonic Trance," both under the leadership of trumpeter and New Orleans native, Nicholas Payton.Tim is currently serving as a board member for the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz as well as an artist-in-residence at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa.
