Born in 1931 in Toronto, Canada, jazz musician Maury Coles studied both the clarinet and alto saxophone while growing up. While attending San Francisco College, Coles studied composition and theory, while sharpening his playing skills at local night clubs. Subsequently, Coles toured Belgium and Germany alongside electronic composer Godfried Raes, as well as performing in Portugal with violinist Carlos Zingaro. Coles also spent a brief time living in London, England, where he played in clubs and enjoyed having a joint composition aired on BBC radio's Jazz in London program. In 1977, Coles issued the lone solo album of his career, Solo Saxophone Record. Moving back to the West Coast, Coles spent the mid-'80s through the early '90s playing at venues stretching from Vancouver to San Diego, during which time he played with synthesizer player Glen Neff, and had his songs played on San Diego's popular jazz station, KSDS-FM. Coles passed away in Toronto on September 4, 2001, at the age of 70. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi