Art Sherrod Jr is “…a man who loves music, a man who loves art, respects the spirit world and thinks with his heart.” ¹ He is equal parts heart and soul and it seems as if God gave him an extra dose of expression through music.

The creative part of Art was shaped by rich experiences, the people with the greatest influence in his formative years and exposure of culture, religion, and the arts. These people, places and things have fostered an innate curiosity, and have nurtured and strong desire for expression. This is a perfect narrative of Art Sherrod, Jr.’s life and is a precise summary of his life and how his love for music and faith have been molded.

Art is a work in progress, so he is the first to tell you that his taste in music varies greatly, but the influence of growing up in Texas created an appreciation for everything from Country & Western, to Rock N’ Roll, Rap, Hip-Hop, to Gospel and of course Jazz! But it all began in church sitting alongside his amazing mother who sang and played the B-3 organ and father who sang in the male chorus. Even to this day, their love for singing continues to be very personal. The rest is history! It’s as if Art knew from the age of 5, his muse would be the saxophone and his avocation would be creating music that inspires, heals, praises speaks to the soul and makes us smile.

During Art’s four-year tenure as a midshipman attending the US Naval Academy, few people knew he was a musician. But shortly after his time at the academy, Art felt a strong desire to be creative again and step away from the more analytical side of life. So he started playing the saxophone again. Influenced by the likes of David Sanborn, Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, Kim Waters and other notables, he gained a great appreciation and respect for strong melodies, grooves, tone and soulful expressiveness. In 2005, Art released his freshman project entitled “All 4 Love” which featured an incredible arrangement of the Hall and Oates mega hit, Sara Smile.

In 2009 Art was signed to Pacific Coast Jazz record label and soon after released his second project, “Seasons”. This project featured a laundry list of industry superstars like Will Downing, Chuck Loeb, Gerald Albright, Frank McComb, Tracy Hamlin, Marcus Johnson, U-Nam, Alex Al and others.