Gene Ammons
Eugene "Gene " Ammons ( born April 14, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois; † August 6, 1974 in Chicago) was an African-American jazz musicians. He played tenor saxophone and led his own bands. Gene Ammons was the son of Albert Ammons ', the famous boogie pianists.
Together with the slightly older Von Freeman, he initiated the Chicago School of tenor saxophonist, further developed the style of Lester Young and Ben Webster. So they took effect on other soloists such as Johnny Griffin and Clifford Jordan.
Gene Ammons played with a very hard-hitting, voluminous and melodic sound. He was not a significant innovator, thanks to its distinctive sound that was easy to recognize both powerful mock blues and romantic ballads, but he gained great popularity with the public. Ira Gitler certified him sound like a 15-story high-rise. His playing style was heavily influenced by rhythm and blues, but he also played occasionally technically virtuosic bebop (so in the Eckstine band). With advent of Bossa Nova in the early 1960s he worked on many of his jazz colleagues with South American rhythms. He has performed with various formations from the Quartet of major all- star cast to big band and played numerous record a.
The long career Gene Ammons ' ranged from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1943 he toured with trumpeter King Kolax. 1944 to 1947 he played in the Billy Eckstine band ( from this time there is the famous recording of Blowing the blues away in a duet / competition with Dexter Gordon ), but also took already own with groups ( hit Red top 1947). In 1949, he was the successor of Stan Getz in the four brothers section of the second herd of Woody Herman, where he was known for his tenor duels with Sonny Stitt. Other famous tenor duel ( battles ) recordings with Sonny Stitt originated from 1950 to 1952 ( in a septet led by two ). Mid-1950s, he took a couple of singles for United and led to all-star band with changing line-ups, among other factors, Art Farmer, Jackie McLean and Donald Byrd played along. In 1960 he had with Canadian Sunset and Hittin the jug hits ( both on the album Boss tenors ) and in 1962 he gave his powerful vocal version of the Bossa Nova (Album Bad! Bossa Nova ). 1958-1960 and 1962-1969, he sat for drug offenses (he was addicted to heroin ) in prison. Part of it was this obvious " tricked " by police and prosecutors ( the judgment in 1962 was 15 years ), but was treated relatively well in Illinois in prison Statesville - he directed the prison band. Since he was banned from performing in New York, he made his comeback concert in 1969 at the Plugged Nickel in Chicago (Album The boss is back ). In February 1972 he was the star guest at Concert Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert; In 1973, he appeared with Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderley and his own band in Montreux and then in July ahu in Sweden (Album In Sweden).
He is one of the few jazz musicians who keep their popularity over several decades and even over again were able to record commercially successful hits. Especially with his recordings in the style of soul jazz he was in the late 1960s and early 1970s very successfully. He was one of the first musicians to integrated the Soul organ in jazz.
Musicians and fans was Gene Ammons commonly by the nickname Jug. Because of its dominant sounds on the saxophone, he was also occasionally referred to as The Boss. His major recordings were released on the record label Prestige Records, where he stood at the end of the 1940s under contract.
In 1974, he collapsed during a performance in Buddy's Place in New York (along with Sonny Stitt, with whom he was still able to deliver to duels ). The diagnosis was bone cancer and he died during treatment in the hospital with pneumonia.
The last play was rehearsed by him Goodbye ( just before you told him his illness ).
Disco Graphical Notes
- Young Jug, 1948-1952, Chess
- Blues Up And Down, 1950, Prestige
- The Happy Blues, 1956, Prestige
- Blue Gene, 1958, Prestige, Original Jazz Classics
- Boss Tenor, 1960, Prestige
- Groovin 'With Jug, 1961, Pacific Jazz Records
- Boss Tenors in 1961, Verve
- Bad! Bossa Nova, 1962, Prestige
- The Boss Is Back! , 1969, Prestige
- Goodbye, 1974, Prestige
- 2012 released the label ' Verve ' in the series 'Jazz Plus ' a CD with 16 pieces of him