 A studio musician for decades, he was part of the co-op group Road Work Ahead from 1979 to 1982, and worked with John Klemmer, Art Pepper, Benny Golson, Joe Farrell, Linda Ronstadt (with Nelson Riddle's Orchestra), Bud Shank, Laurindo Almeida, Shorty Rogers, Bob Cooper, Lou Donaldson, Clifford Jordan, George Cables, Victor Lewis, Joe Pass, Art Farmer, Kenny Barron, Freddie Hubbard, Slide Hampton, Billy Higgins, Carl Fontana, Tommy Flanagan, Mike Wofford, Holly Hofmann, Kenny Burrell, Roger Kellaway, Randy Porter, Ernie Watts, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Peter Erskine, Bobby Shew, Bill Mays, Natalie Cole, Neil Diamond, Bonnie Raitt, 10,000 Maniacs, Madonna, Hank Jones, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Heath and others.Including the Road Work Ahead projects, Magnusson led record dates for Discovery Records in 1979, 1980 and 1984, and Trend Records in 1982.Magnusson has performed in many of the world's finest concert halls and club venues, such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.