Red Callender

George Sylvester 'Red' Callender ( born March 8, 1916 in Haynesville, Virginia; † March 8, 1992 in Saugus, California ) was an American jazz bassist ( bass and tuba).

Life and work

Callender went to school in New Jersey and took over 17 years a touring job in a band. He then settled on the west coast. There he played with Buck Clayton (1936 ), Louis Armstrong ( 1937/1938 ), Lester Young ( 1941-1943, partly also with Nat King Cole ), one of his own trio ( 1944-1946 ) and Erroll Garner ( 1946/47, ). In 1946, he took with his trio from Willard McDaniel (p) and Leonard "Lucky" Enois ( g) for Black & White Records on ( " Red Light "). 1945/46, he worked at Lester Young recordings for Aladdin ( The Complete Aladdin Recordings of Lester Young). He appeared in the film " New Orleans " next to Armstrong with (as well as in the film Jammin 'the Blues 1944, inter alia, next to Lester Young and Sweets Edison ) and jammed with Charlie Parker, on the Dial sessions in February 1947, he plays along. Then he played with Johnny Otis and Cee Pee Johnson before he worked in Honolulu (1947-1950) and in San Francisco with his own band. After having worked with Red Norvo and Jerry Fielding until 1953, he settled in Los Angeles where he became a member of the NBC television. In addition, he has produced for small record companies plates.

1955 and 1956 he recorded with Art Tatum whose last album sessions (The Tatum Group Masterpieces Vol 5 and Vol 6). He joined from 1962 to 1964 at the Monterey Jazz Festival. As a sought-after session musician he worked with on albums by Frank Sinatra and Ry Cooder. Callender was the most sought after tuba players in Hollywood: When Stan Kenton (1965 ), Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus (1964 ), James Newton ( early 1980s ) and Stevie Wonder, he used this instrument. Influenced in timing and melody of Jimmy Blanton Callender played an accented Pizzicato. Callenders game has influenced his pupil and friend of Charles Mingus sustained on the double bass.