Shaheed, Nolan (18th July 1949-Present)

He is a trumpeter and producer born in Pasadena, California, also previously known as Nolan Andrew Smith.

He began his career in the late 1960s/early 1970s after attending college and doing his military service and in 1974/5 became a studio musician in Los Angeles and took on a two-year stint with Marvin Gaye as his Musical Director. He moved on from there to take on the position of Lead Trumpet with the Count Basie Orchestra for the years 1976 to 1979 and from there he worked continually with a string of acclaimed artists and musicians that include Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Phil Collins, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Gap Band, the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and many more.

The albums he has appeared on are countless and include his own Lamentation from the Middle Passage, Golden Years by Count Basie, City Life by The Blackbyrds, Dangerous by Natalie Cole, Live from the Nation’s Capital by the Buddy Collette Big Band, Take It To The Limit by Norman Connors, Who’s Been Talkin’ by Robert Cray, Dingo by Miles Davis & Michel LeGrand, All This Love by DeBarge, Knee Burns by David Byrne, Faces and Illuminations by Earth, Wind & Fire, Best of My Love by The Emotions, Classy Pair by Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie, The Gap Band, Live at the London Palladium, In Our Lifetime and Here, My Dear by Marvin Gaye, Pleasure One by Heaven 17, Simple Things by Carole King, Burnin’ by Patti LaBelle, S.O.S. by The S.O.S. Band, It Only Takes a Minute by The Emotions, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards by Tom Waits, Whisper in Your Ear by The Whispers, Hotter than July and Conversation Peace by Stevie Wonder.

In the 1990s he changed his surname to Shaheed and nowadays he is also a music producer and has his own recording studio. He is also a master athlete having won countless championships worldwide in track events.

The Gap Band recordings
Baby Baba Boogie (Lonnie Simmons/Charlie Wilson)

Sources:

Shaheed, Nolan (18th July 1949-Present)

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