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14156
MAGNOLIA BOULEVARD |
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I was born in 1929 in Fort Worth, Texas and went to school with Ornette Coleman. We started playing saxophone in a school band (which also produced great names like Charles Moffett and King Curtis) and started our own group in 1947. We worked with Harold Land and Red Connors before going our separate ways. I have lived in New York, Oakland, Germany, Italy and France where I have had the honor and privilege to perform with many of the greats. Sonny Simmons and I worked together for 6 years; Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins and I recorded together – in fact I wrote “Music Matador” that Dolphy made famous. Ornette and I are still friends and we perform together whenever we can. Although some say I was too traditional for free music and too free for traditional music, jazz was very good to me for most of my career. The 1980s and 1990s weren’t so kind, however, and I had to redirect my efforts to make a living. Then in the early 2000s, due to a resurgence of interest in my music, I have had incredible opportunities open up to me. In France late last year, I was granted new instruments – a beautiful new Selmer dearly beloved baritone and a soprano. With the blessing of these new instruments and my dental work made possible by the Jazz Foundations, I am now able to pursue music again full time. I am now releasing a new CD on my own label, Birdseye Records and will be revisiting New York later in the year. In 2006, I performed at the Blue Note with Odean Pope and the Nine Saxophone Choir. That gig included guest saxophonists Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker, James Carter and myself. During the years that I wasn’t doing too well, I wasn’t able to keep up the dental work that I needed. Now I had these opportunities, but I needed to have my teeth fixed in order to play. Thanks to the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) and its assistance, I was able to get started with the work I needed. JFA referred me to the California Jazz Foundation, which made a payment to my dentist, allowing me to continue the work. I don’t know what I would have done without the assistance of these two organizations. Since then, I have traveled to France, and with the blessing of these new instruments and my dental work from the Jazz Foundations, I am now able to pursue music again full time. I am currently releasing a new CD on my own label, Birdseye Records, called Baritone Madness. It features Woody Shaw, Ron Carter, Odean Pope, and Eddie Gale. Forever grateful, © Copyright by California Jazz Foundation 2006 |
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