FORMER NBA GREAT & REKNOWNED JAZZ MUSICIAN WAYMAN TISDALE PASSES AWAY AT AGE 44 IN HIS HOMETOWN OF TULSA, OK

Sometimes a word can mean one thing your entire life, and then circumstances alter to provide a totally different interpretation.

For NBA-icon-turned-musical-star Wayman Tisdale, rebound meant to grab possession of a basketball during a game.

But in 2007, that all changed. Tisdale was diagnosed with bone cancer after he fell down a flight of steps and broke his leg. Knee replacement surgery and months of chemotherapy followed.

Rebound takes the listener on a journey with gratitude as the ultimate destination. That spirit is expressed on CD closer "Grateful," stirringly delivered by gospel great Marvin Sapp. "When he was a newcomer in gospel group Commission, he used to stay at my house and sleep in the Lazy Boy," Tisdale recalls with a robust laugh. " needed somebody to complete this record and I couldn't think of a better person than Marvin. I knew he would give it the emotion and really bring it home the way it needed to be brought home and he did a beautiful job."

Another old friend-and fellow Oklahoman-- Toby Keith also makes an appearance. In his self-appointed role of "Ambassador of Old School," Tisdale covers an R&B classic on each album. Here, he and Keith team up for the Barry White classic "Never Gonna Give You Up." "I was literally on the internet looking at a lot of old school songs, listening to Earth, Wind & Fire and some old school Isley Bros., when I got a call and Toby says, I got the song we need to redo: 'Never Gonna Give You Up.' It still didn't register until the studio and I mean, my mouth was wide open. I could not believe what I was hearing! Toby nails it!"

Another highlight is first single, "Throwin' It Down," which announces that Tisdale is back in the game. He co-wrote the upbeat, jaunty tune with Darren Rahn, who produced Wayman's #1 single "Ain't No Stopping Us Now."

Although Tisdale showed promise on the bass from an early age, his tremendous athletic talent initially overshadowed his musical leanings. He played for the University of Oklahoma Sooners from 1983 to 1985 and became the first player to have his jersey retired. All three years at Oklahoma, Tisdale was named to the All American team, and in 1984 he played on the U.S. Olympic team which brought home the gold. In 1986 the Indiana Pacers selected Tisdale as the No. 2 overall draft pick behind Patrick Ewing. For the next 12 years, Tisdale left his mark on the NBA with the Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, scoring more than 12,800 points and pulling down more than 5,000 rebounds in a 12-year career.
Before he retired after the 1997 season, Tisdale had already made the transition toward a career in music. In 1995 he released his debut CD, appropriately titled Power Forward, which climbed to No. 4 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart and, like all of his subsequent efforts, crossed over onto the R&B charts. In the Zone, Decisions and Face to Face all landed in Billboard's Top 10, with 2001's Face to Face going to No. 1, as did his last album, Way Up. In addition to "Ain't No Stopping Us Now," he took "Can't Hide Love" and "Don't Take Your Love Away" to No. 1 at radio. Even actor Jamie Foxx recognizes Tisdale's enormous musical talents. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Foxx selected Wayman as part of his "dream band" along with Herbie Hancock, Wynton and Brandford Marsalis and Prince.
Tisdale will be the first to say that each project defines a moment in time and Rebound is no exception. "Each album has its own personality and its own edge and I think Rebound will carve its own niche."