Carmen Leggio
Carmen Leggio (actually Carmelo John Leggio, * 1927 in Tarrytown, New York, † April 17, 2009 ) was an American jazz musician ( alto and tenor saxophone).
Life and work
Leggio began eleven years playing the clarinet; at 14, he moved to the saxophone. At first, he played in local bands and Others with Keter Betts and Horace Silver, before he moved to New York City in 1950, where he appeared with Terry Gibbs 1950/51 at New York's Birdland, and then worked as a studio musician. In the following years he also played in the bands of Marty Napoleon, Sol Yaged (1956 ), Benny Goodman (1957 ) and as a soloist with Maynard Ferguson ( 1958/59 to listen to the Roulette albums Swingin ' My Way Through College and A Message from Birdland ).
From 1960 he also worked with his own bands, including Dave Frishberg. From 1961 he played with Mel Lewis, 1963 Woody Herman and 1964-66 with Gene Krupa. 1961 originated with accompanying musicians such as John Bunch and Henry Grimes his debut album The Carmen Leggio Group.
In the late 1970s he was a member of the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra and took with Butch Miles ( Butch 's Encore, 1978), Cal Collins (Ohio Boss Guitar, 1978) and Jake Hanna (Jake Takes Manhattan ) on. Under his own name Leggio played several albums for smaller labels as well as for his own label Leggio one. Yet emerged in his later years recording with Eddie Bert ( The Human Factor, 1987), Donnie O'Brien and Bill Crow (From Birdland to Broadway, 2002); He also has appeared in various clubs and restaurants in Westchester County, such as the Red Hat Bistro in Irvington on. 2006 was the album Three Legends Live at The Division Street Grill with Bucky Pizzarelli and Bill Crow.
Disco Graphical Notes
- The Carmen Leggio Group ( Jazz Unlimited, 1961)
- Tarrytown Quartet ( Famous Door, 1978) with John Bunch, Milt Hinton, Butch Miles
- Aerial View (Dream Street, 1978) with Frank Gordon, Harold Danko, Ray Drummond, Mel Lewis
- Smile ( Progressive, 1978) with Derek Smith, George Duvivier, Ronnie Bedford
- Carmen Leggio Quartet featuring Joe Cohn (2006)
- A Sax For Christmas (2007, Leggio Records)
- Sax After Midnight (1996, The Good Music Record Company)