A multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and producer, Brian Donohoe has worked with Grammy-winning artists across multiple genres of contemporary music. His compositions, arrangements, and session work as a saxophonist, keyboardist, and multi-woodwind artist appear on national television networks, podcasts, films, and jazz radio stations around the world. His performing and recording credits range from legendary jazz artists (Snarky Puppy, Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, Phil Woods) and Gospel mainstays (Myron Butler, God’s Property) to icons of modern art-rock (the Black Pumas, Adrian Quesada, Molly Burch, Okkervil River). A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Brian studied jazz saxophone, composition, and piano at the University of North Texas where he toured and recorded four albums with the Grammynominated One O’clock Lab Band and participated in the formation of multi-Grammy-winning Snarky Puppy. His career took him from Dallas to Austin to New York City, where he developed his critically acclaimed fusion group, Progger, releasing two albums independently and two more with Ropeadope Records. While in New York, he performed with numerous young jazz virtuosi including Chad LB, Benny Benack, Ross Pederson, Julian Pollack (J3P0), Marcos Varela, and Akira Ishiguro. After returning to Austin, Brian began working closely with Adrian Quesada, the Grammywinning leader of the Black Pumas and alumnus of both Grupo Fantasma and Prince. He contributed arrangements and recordings to Quesada’s two critically-acclaimed solo records, “Boleros Psicodélicos” and “Jaguar Sound,” while also collaborating with keyboardist JaRon Marshall on Marshall’s debut album, “Earth Sound.” He released his first solo record, “Soundtracks for Trying Times,” in the spring of 2021
