Massachusetts-born jazz guitarist Bruce Forman started his career after relocating to San Francisco in 1971, where he established himself as a solo artist - releasing his first album as a leader in 1978 with Coast to Coast - and as a sideman with Richie Cole. The prolific musician has also published various method books for guitarists, an educational video and even a novel. As a philanthropist, Forman founded JazzMasters Workshops in 2000, a mentoring program for students that won him the 2003 award for Service to and Beyond Jazz, by the Jazz Journalists Association. He has scored two Clint Eastwood movies - Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Flags of our Fathers (2006) - and his current band Cow Bop has been at the forefront of the "western bebop" movement since its formation in 2003.