Sax Kari, born Isaac Columbus Toombs Jr. on February 6, 1920, in Chicago, Illinois, was a significant figure in the American music scene, particularly in R&B, disco, and funk genres. His career spanned from the 1920s to the 1990s, during which he was known by various pseudonyms, including Saxton Kari, Candy Yams, Ira Green, Texas Red, and Dirty Red Morgan.

Kari's early life was marked by a stint in vaudeville, where he performed as a comic entertainer with Butterbeans and Susie, earning the nickname "Candy Yams." He was proficient in multiple instruments, including vocals, guitar, piano, organ, and saxophone. By the 1940s, Kari had established himself in the music industry, playing in bands and eventually taking over Charlie Christian's position in an orchestra at the Lyon's Den club in Oklahoma City.

In the early 1940s, Kari worked with Denver D. Ferguson in Indianapolis, promoting concerts and helping to establish the "Chitlin' Circuit." He formed his own eighteen-piece band and settled in Detroit around 1945, making his first recordings with Imperial Records in 1947. His 1953 release, "Daughter (That's Your Red Wagon)," reached No. 8 on the Billboard R&B chart, solidifying his reputation in the industry.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Kari worked with notable figures such as Don Robey and Allen Toussaint, producing records and managing artists like Esquerita. He also set up a recording studio in New Orleans and later moved to Mobile, Alabama, where he established a record store and his label, Channel 1. His contributions extended to writing for Henry Stone's TK label in Miami and composing the soundtrack for the 1978 blaxploitation film "The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger."

In the 1980s, Kari continued to influence the music scene by writing for Rock Candy Records and touring with his band, Four Sticks of Dynamite and a Fuse. He eventually settled in Florida, performing solo gigs in the Tampa area and participating in events like the 1997 Florida Folklife Festival. Sax Kari passed away on October 1, 2009, in Tampa, Florida, leaving behind a legacy as a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and pioneer in the R&B music industry.