Baby Face Willette
Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette ( September 11, 1933 *, † April 1, 1971 ) was a hard bop and soul-jazz organist ( Hammond B-3) and pianist.
Biography
The exact origin Willettes is unclear; He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, or New Orleans His mother was a missionary who played in the church piano; his father was a preacher. His musical roots are therefore in gospel music, and he first played as a pianist in various gospel groups. At the beginning of his musical career he toured the United States, Canada and Cuba. In Chicago, he moved from gospel and rhythm and blues to play in jazz bands; he was a pianist in the bands of King Kolax, Joe Houston, Johnny Otis and Big Jay McNeely, before he finally found his place at the organ. In 1960 he moved to New York, where he worked with Lou Donaldson and Grant Green and in January 1961 at the Blue Note Sessions Here ' Tis ( Donaldson ) and Grant 's First Stand ( Grant) participated. This meant that Willette was taken at the label under contract and end in January 1961 his debut album Face to Face grossed where Fred Jackson, Grant Green and Ben Dixon participated. In May, followed in almost the same cast (without Jackson) Album Stop and Listen, which is considered to be probably the best album. [A 1] In 1963 he founded his own trio in 1964 and took two more albums for Argo occurred .. Willette then regularly from 1966 to 1971 in the South Side Chicago lounge on, but was gradually forgotten.
Disco Graphical Notes
- Face to Face ( Blue Note, 1961)
- Stop and Listen ( Blue Note, 1961)
- Mo 'Rock ( Argo, 1964)
- Behind the 8 Ball ( Argo, 1965)