Harvey Wainapel was born in San Francisco. He is known for his talent on the soprano but also his ability to play the alto and the tenor. After completing his training at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Wainapel spent most of the 1970s in Europe. He learned his craft in many musical settings, including as a featured soloist and lead alto with the Frankfurt-based German Radio Big Band. After returning to the U.S. in 1980, he traveled with Ray Charles for ten more months, before moving to the Bay Area in 1982. He performed with Johnny Coles and McCoy Tyner. In 1992 Wainapel finally released At Home/On The Road, his first album. Three years later, he was back with Ambrosia. The Music of Kenny Barron. They recorded in Europe with both the Dutch National Orchestra and a Brazilian octet. He toured with Joe Lovano’s 1996 group. Allmusic
