Saxophonist and composer, Oliver Lake is featured artist on no less than 50 recordings, many of them under his own leadership. He formed the World Saxophone Quartet in 1976 with Hamiet Bluiett, David Murray, and Julius Hemphill, a group which has performed in many countries and won considerable critical acclaim. In 1981, he formed Jump Up, a jazz/ funk/reggea band which was selected to tour Africa on behalf of the United States' Information Agency's Arts America Program. In 1987, Oliver was invited to partecipate in the US-USSR Composer's Symposium where he performed and supervised the performance of chamber music in Russia. He has been commissioned to compose works for the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the Arditti String Quartet. He has received 3 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Fellowship Grants, numerous New York State Fellowships, and Meet The Composer grants. He was commissioned by the Massachusetts Arts Council to compose works for a Big Band which were performed in Boston and Cleveland. This commission was broadcast as part of the American Jazz Festival on National Public Radio in 1989. Subsequent performances of Oliver's Big Band include The University Oregon (spring 1990), Town Hall, New York City, where he performed on a double bill with Sun Ra's Arkestra (autumn 1990), and in Washington D.C. (autumn 1991). Oliver's upcoming recordings include a duo with pianist Donal Fox (on Music and Arts label) and The Oliver Lake Quartet (on Gazell label) which are to be released in the spring of 1992. His last release was titled Again and Again on Grammavision, summer 1991.