Nathaniel Bernard Najar, known professionally as Nate Najar, was born on August 28, 1981, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is an American guitarist who began studying classical guitar in his teens under Frank Mullen. Najar's early career involved collaborations with notable musicians such as Ken Peplowski and John Lamb. Najar's musical style is influenced by Charlie Byrd, a fingerstyle guitarist known for bossa nova and Brazilian jazz compositions. His debut album The Cool Sounds of Nate Najar was released in 2002. Najar achieved significant chart success with the song "Groove Me", which reached number 10 on the jazz music charts in 2011, featuring vocals by Melba Moore.