photo credit: Greg de Wode

Tamar Osborn is a UK-based saxophonist/woodwind-player and composer renowned for her innovative approach and versatility across genres, bringing a wealth of experience from a career informed by observation, participation and variety.

She collaborates regularly in various ensembles with Dele Sosimi, Sarathy Korwar, Rosa Brunello, Jessica Lauren, Emanative, DJ Khalab and more. She is a founder member of Flock, Unknown to Known and Tryp Tych Tryo, and also the creative force behind modal jazz ensemble Collocutor (On The Corner Records), with whom she has released three critically acclaimed LPs and an EP.

Tamar studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has been a professional freelancer for 25+ years, amassing an extensive discography along the way. A background in both classical music and jazz, and an interest in learning about other musical traditions and cultures, have enabled her to work in many different genres and contexts around the world – recently touring worldwide with contemporary/Indian classical dancer Akram Khan’s ‘Xenos’, she has also spent many years improvising alongside DJs as well as working with artists as diverse as Kelis, Van Morrison, Rhye, tabla maestro Tanmoy Bose, and the Africa Express project with Tony Allen, Baaba Maal, Rokia Traore and Fatoumata Diawara amongst others. She also performed in the acclaimed London productions of the Fela! musical at the National Theatre and Sadler’s Wells.

Composing for Collocutor in particular has allowed her to bring together these many varied experiences, and explore commonalities and meeting points between different traditions and genres.

Tamar also hosts a monthly show on Soho Radio in her guise as ‘Tamar Collocutor’, exploring her musical interests and influences, and interviewing musicians and others involved in the industry.