b. Maryland, USA. Born into a musical family, Waters began playing saxophone at an early age. His technical proficiency was remarkable, allowing him to play comfortably in jazz and R&B formats. He worked with childhood friend Cyrus Chestnut, sometimes playing jazz but also as members of a group backing a hotel lounge act. With his brothers James and Eric Waters, he also formed a band, Phase. Waters then resumed his education but realized that he had not only the desire but also the ability to capitalize upon his musical skills. Turning to a full-time career in music, he signed a record contract and made Sweet And Saxy which, remarkably for a debut album, sold into six figures. This was in 1989, and the recording had found favour with the awakening of interest among record buyers and radio stations for smooth jazz. His follow-up albums also did well and soon Waters was an unstoppable force in the smooth jazz genre.
Although his technical mastery, especially on soprano saxophone, allows him to play in a more forceful jazz-orientated mode, Waters chosen milieu has earned him great commercial success, especially in recent years although some hard line jazz buffs find his music a little too slick.
