Biography

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The title of Andre Cavor’s 2017 debut album Road Trip turned out to be an inspiring, self-fulfilling prophecy, setting the multi-talented Cleveland based saxophonist on an incredible journey that has established him as one of contemporary urban jazz’s most acclaimed and innovative independent artists.

Produced by Darren Rahn, fellow saxophonist and renowned artist who has worked his studio magic for genre greats like Kirk Whalum, Jonathan Butler, Dave Koz, Eric Darius, Jeff Lorber and the late Wayman Tisdale, Road Trip is that rare visionary project that achieved transcendent success while defying the conventional industry wisdom that tells artists they must limit themselves stylistically. The collection found Andre unabashedly sharing his lifelong love for pop, jazz, R&B and gospel music, drawing from a lifetime of musical influences and experiences to create a passionate, high energy masterwork that truly comes from the soul. 

The collection’s first single, the Andre-penned title track “Road Trip,” received substantial airplay everywhere from Las Vegas, Panama City, Cleveland and Houston to Birmingham, Seattle, Boston and over in the UK. The track hit #13 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart – an incredible achievement for an indie artist with his first commercial release – and #4 on the Smooth Jazz Network Top 20 chart. It also received substantial spins on XM Sirus Radio’s Watercolors channel. In addition, famed Cleveland dance instructor Robert Johnson, Jr. created a “Road Trip” line dance that became a sensation in numerous cities. When Andre attended a line dance convention in Las Vegas, he witnessed 1000 people performing the dance simultaneously. Road Trip’s second single “Ready or Not” also hit the Top Ten on the Smooth Jazz Network. 

Andre received major critical acclaim as well, making the 2017 Top 10 Critic’s Picks Year End list in Jazziz Magazine and earning the praise of Ronald Jackson of the influential taste making website The Smooth Jazz Ride. Jackson wrote: “(Andre’s) emotional power, his drive and the substance of his strong material is not only satisfying to the ear but most inspirational. Few express their passion via their instrument better than he does. The album, a very melodic gem, does a wonderful job of bringing the two genres together with love and insight. There are grooves meant to move the feet and head and there are tracks to move the spirit…and there are tracks that do both simultaneously."

While currently enjoying success with his latest single “Stay With Me Tonight” (a re-imagining of a beloved track by fellow saxman Jackiem Joyner), Andre is excited about the 2020 release of his latest album Reinvention. The dynamic concept album featuring fresh re-imaginings of classic hits (and a few delightful obscurities) by a multitude of jazz R&B and pop greats, including Herbie Hancock (“Watermelon Man”), Grover Washington, Jr. (“Heat Index”), El DeBarge (“A Dream”), Alicia Keys (“I’m Ready”), Christopher Cross (“Sailing”), Bette Midler (“Wind Beneath My Wings”) and Stevie Wonder (“Higher Ground”). 

Andre is deeply connected – musically, emotionally and spiritually – to his passionate fans (including loyal followings on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), and conceived the project in response to their enthusiasm over the years for his live renditions of these songs. He believes music lovers need a personal connection to the fans who make their careers possible – and Reinvention is his way of acknowledging giving love back to them.  

Andre laid the foundation for the success of Road Trip with hundreds of performances as leader of The Cavor Project, which has been a mainstay on the Cleveland music scene since 2007. The band is known for infusing fresh, explosive energy into vocal and instrumental classics from the 80’s through 2017 and spicing up their set list with dynamic originals. Featuring 11 of the most acclaimed musical talents in the city – five band members, five vocalists and a hip-hop artist – The Cavor Project performs a grooving mix of R&B, smooth jazz, hip-hop, reggae, pop, blues, rock and gospel.  

Since the release of Road Trip, Andre has headlined gigs featuring his own material with several members of The Cavor Project at Cleveland hotspots like Nighttown (a historic Cleveland club chosen one of the Top Five Clubs in the U.S. by Downbeat Magazine) and the Take 5 Jazz Lounge, Blu Jazz+ in Akron, OH, Margaritaville in Hollywood, FL and Martini Blue in Houston, where he sold out four show over two nights in February 2018. Andre has also opened shows for top R&B vocalists Will Downing, Glenn Jones and Regina Belle (in Miramar, FL). 

Andre has headlined at festivals throughout the country with numerous contemporary jazz legends and top up and coming performers. These include Cleveland’s Edgewater Park Jazz Festival (with Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Maysa and Lin Rountree), the Galveston Wine and Jazz Festival (Albright, Norman Brown, Julian Vaughn), the Dallas Martini Blue Spring Jazz Festival (Whalum, Maysa, Kim and Kayla Waters) and the Vrroom VIP Up Close and Personal Jazz Festival in Durham, NC (Jonathan Fritzen, Gregg Karukas). Andre will be performing at the Destin Jazz Festival in Destin, FL on Memorial Day Weekend 2020.   Mr. Cavor has also played with a few Gospel Greats, such as Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin.

Andre has secured several key endorsements from music manufacturers, including Theo Wanne Mouthpieces and the Japanese based Silverstein Works Ligatures, whose team of artists includes Albright and Boney James. 

“I appreciate the fact that my musical voice can now be heard by people throughout the world, and I am grateful for my wonderful, passionate fans,” Andre says. “On a deeper level, I love that God uses me and my music to be a blessing to others. Whether it’s the opportunity to play ‘Happy Birthday’ to someone at one of my shows, or people telling me that my music helped them get through the day or soothe their fears or heal them when they’re battling major health issues, it’s wonderful to uplift them and be of service in this way.”