Known for his seamless amalgamation of smooth jazz and gospel, guitarist Timothy Bowman (April 22, 1959) was born in Detroit, Michigan, and picked up the instrument at age 11 while attending the International Gospel Center. There, he sang in the choir and quickly became a member of the church’s group, International Sounds of Deliverance. After his sister Vickie got married to gospel musician Marvin Winans, Bowman was invited to join The Winans as a stable member. Due to his impossibility to meet their busy touring schedule, he left the group in 1987 and decided to embark on a solo career. Bowman’s debut album, Love, Joy, Peace saw the light in 1996 via Diamante Records and was followed by Paradise (1998) and Smile (2000). After 2004’s This Is What I Hear, the guitarist had his big breakthrough moment with his 2008 eponymous fifth album, which peaked at Number 15 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In subsequent years, his 2013 single “Seaside Drive” topped the US Smooth Jazz Songs chart and a sixth album entitled Into the Blue arrived in 2017.
