Sherman Irby was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He found his musical calling at age 12 and in high school he played and recorded with gospel immortal James Cleveland. He graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in music education. In 1991 he joined Johnny O’Neal’s Atlanta-based quintet. In 1994 he moved to New York City and recorded his first two albums, Full Circle (1996) and Big Mama’s Biscuits (1998), on Blue Note. Irby toured the U.S. and the Caribbean with the Boys Choir of Harlem in 1995 and was a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra from 1995 to 1997. During that tenure he also recorded and toured with Marcus Roberts and was part of Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead Program and Roy Hargrove’s ensemble. After a four-year stint with Roy Hargrove, Irby focused on his own group in addition to being a member of Elvin Jones’ ensemble in 2004 and then Papo Vazquez’ Vazquez’s Pirates Troubadours after Jones’ passing. From 2003–11 Irby was the regional director for JazzMasters Workshop, mentoring young children, and he has served as artist-in-residence for Jazz Camp West and an instructor for Monterey Jazz Festival Band Camp. He is a former board member for the CubaNOLA Collective. He formed Black Warrior Records and released Black Warrior, Faith, Organ Starter, Live at the Otto Club, and Andy Farber’s This Could Be the Start of Something Big. Since rejoining, Irby has arranged much of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s music, and he has been commissioned to compose new works, including Twilight Sounds, and his Dante-inspired ballet, Inferno.