Amari Ansari brings a fresh voice to the saxophone. The son of a gospel pianist, the Alabama native credits his earliest interest in music to southern gospel, soul, and 90’s R&B. Upon moving to New Orleans in 2009, he was the recipient of the University of New Orleans’ Ellis Marsalis Jazz Scholarship where he would go on to graduate with a Master’s Degree in Music. This introduction to the Marsalis family led him to meet NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis, eventually becoming a long time member of the Marsalis led band the Uptown Jazz Orchestra. With his feature on Marsalis’ 2019 release Jazz Party , Downbeat Magazine called Amari’s style, “Hank Crawford meets Maceo Parker.”

In 2012, Amari joined the Grammy award-winning New Orleans Jazz Orchestra where he honed his skills touring on the road alongside acclaimed jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, as well as recorded on multiple records, including their 2019 tribute release of “Working on the Coal Mine” on Songs - The Music of Allen Toussaint. In 2018 he became a member of the Alabama southern-soul band St. Paul and the Broken Bones leading him to international travel. The band has released three studio albums and has regularly opened for the Rolling Stones, including their highly-anticipated North American Chicago comeback in 2019.

Amari has performed on several late night television shows and appeared on the American television series HBO’s Treme. Over the past decade he has worked with Stevie Wonder, Solange Knowles, The Temptations, PJ Morton and many more. His voice is deeply rooted in soul music and his influences include Luther Vandross, Donny Hathaway, and saxophonist Maceo Parker. In 2019 he released his debut project Voices EP, available on Bubble Bath Records. In 2020 he recorded on Netflix’s Ma Rainey's Black Bottom under the leadership of Branford Marsalis. He currently tours nationwide with St. Paul and the Broken Bones and has written several songs on their fourth record release Alien Coast (2022). Amari credits New Orleans funk as his biggest influence.