Saxophonist, recording artist and educator Tim Warfield, began his tenure on alto saxophone at age nine. He attended William Penn Sr. High School in York, Pennsylvania, where he switched to tenor, participating in various music ensembles and winning numerous awards. He later attended Howard University for two years, before going on to lead and co-lead groups in the Mid-Atlantic and Central Pennsylvania regions.

Tim received his big break in 1990, when he was invited to join trumpeter and Sony recording artist, Marlon Jordan’s Quintet. The continuation of his musical journey includes recording “Tough Young Tenors,” a recording listed as one of the top ten recordings of the year by the New York Times, ultimately rising to number five on the Billboard Top 100 Jazz charts. Tim was also selected to be a member of Jazz Futures, a world touring group assembled in 1991 by impresario George Wein, showcasing some of the world’s brightest young stars in jazz which featured, bassist Christian McBride, pianist Benny Green, guitarist Mark Whitfield, drummer Carl Allen, trumpeter Marlon Jordan, alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, and trumpeter Roy Hargrove.

In 1991, Warfield placed third in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition held at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. His recording and performing career has included performing alongside such artists as Donald Byrd, Michelle Rosewoman, Marcus Miller, James Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Isaac Hayes, Peter Nero, Shirley Scott, Jimmy Smith, Trudy Pitts, Billy Paul, Kenny Barron, Charles Fambrough, Eric Reed, George Cables, Carl Allen, Orrin Evans, the Newport Millennium All Stars, Joey Defrancesco, and many others. He’s also had longtime associations in bands led by Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Stefon Harris, and Terell Stafford.

Warfield has appeared on several GRAMMY-nominated recordings such as Stefon Harris’ “The Grand Unification Theory” as well as “Dear Louis” and “Sonic Trance,” both under the leadership of trumpeter and New Orleans native, Nicholas Payton.

As an arts advocate, Tim serves as a board member and Artistic Director for the nonprofit organization, The Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz. He was also appointed to be a council member for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts in 2018, by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.

Tim is currently an Artist in Residence at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA. He is also the Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Jazz Masters of Music, Graduate Program at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

As a leader, Tim has recorded a total of 11 albums, all to critical acclaim. His current release “Jazzland,” on the Criss Cross Jazz label, features trumpeter Terell Stafford, organist Pat Bianchi, drummer Byron Landham and percussionist Daniel Sadownick. The recording was listed in the Sirius XM’s “Real Jazz” year end review, ranking #7, in their “Top 10 New Album Requests and Inquiries” for 2018.