Forman is a seasoned jazz player with top-level skills as a leader, entertainer and sideman. He creates soulful, lyrical melodies, inventive harmonies, and solid accompaniment. Though he can shred bebop at blistering tempos with the best of ‘em, he is no urban snob. Cow Bop, Forman’s unique “western bebop” band, hit four separate charts with its CDs, Swingin’ Out West, Route 66, Too Hick for the Room andCowlifornia Swing. Having won the Route 66 Challenge three times with Cow Bop, he created a linear music festival in 2013 with USC’s Thornton School of Music, calledMusic Licks on 66, establishing a new paradigm for touring and the use of social media, included in a mentoring model that is both innovative and collaborative.

Forman also has long-standing experience as a distinguished music educator and in-kind philanthropist. His national music-mentoring program, JazzMasters Workshop, provided over 2,500 sessions for young students.  Always free of charge, JazzMasters’ sessions occurred during after-school hours, and the program enriched lives and helped develop numerous musicians who have gone on to promising careers.