Gary Wheat

Gary Wheat (born March 12, 1977) is an American saxophonist residing in Birmingham, Alabama.

He was formerly (2005 - 2007) saxophone instructor for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He is a member of the funk group Meteorite, as well as several active jazz groups in Birmingham, such as the Carlos Pino Jazz Group, the Chad Fisher Group, Double Threat, and other noted jazz groups, including the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars, [http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ray_Reach_and_Friends Ray Reach and Friends] , the Magic City Jazz Orchestra, and the [http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Night_Flight_Big_Band Night Flight Big Band] . His professional performance experience includes gigs with the Temptations, the Four Tops, the O'Jays, Ruben Studdard, Cleveland Eaton, Johnny O'Neal, and Lou Marini.

His playing style is versatile, at times taking cues from traditional stylists such as Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Charlie Parker, and at other times resembling the more modern funk sounds of Maceo Parker and Michael Brecker. Wheat attended Virgil Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama, and the University of Alabama, where he studied under professor of saxophone Dr. Jonathan Noffsinger.