Stan Getz, Saxophone, 1927, Philadelphia, PA
Stan started playing professionally in New York at the age of 15 . The next year he made his first recordings while with Jack Teagarden's group. During the mid '40s he played with several important big bands, including Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Benny Goodman. While with Woody Herman, his fellow saxophonists were Zoot Sims, Serge Chaloff and Herbie Steward. Their section was known as the Four Brothers. In 1948 the band recorded Ralph Burn's "EarlyAutumn" on which Getz's solo established him as a major improviser in an advanced swing style. He left Herman the following year and began leading his own group. At this point in his career Stan began dominating jazz popularity polls and continued to do so for the next 25 years. In the mid '50s his career was interrupted by difficulties associated with his addiction to drugs, and he actually served some time in jail. He spent the latter part of the '50s in Scandinavia working with local musicians and visiting American players. He returned to the U.S. in 1961 and cut the album "Focus" with Eddie Sauter. Later, he and Charlie Byrd initiated a fusion of jazz and bossa nova which brought Getz a considerable amount of popularity. Getz continued to lead jazz groups that helped launch the careers of Gary Burton, Steve Swallow, Chick Corea, Tony Williams, and many others. He spent the years 1969 to 1972 in semi-retirement in Europe, returning to the States in the mid '80s, playing in the San Francisco Bay area and teaching at Stanford University. Getz was an important exponent of his instrument and one of the supremely melodious improvisers in modern jazz, with a style deeply rooted in the swing period. His elegant style, influenced by Lester Young, stood apart from the aggressive bop style of the late '40s and early '50s. His "cool" style captured the imagination of many white young jazz musicians of the time. Stan was also among the very few jazz musicians who could remain lyrical even at very fast tempos. His performance on "Crazy Chords" in 1949, at a breakneck tempo rendering of the blues in all twelve keys, set a new standard for jazz improvisation on the tenor sax. His fusion of jazz and bossa nova played an important role in restoring jazz to a large popular following. Stan Getz died in 1991.
Sonny Stitt, Saxophone, 1924, Boston, MA
By the time Sonny was in his teens he was playing alto sax in the Tiny Bradshaw band. In1945 he was invited to join the Billy Eckstine band which included such young bop musicians as Fats Navarro, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, and Art Blakey. The next year found him working with Dizzy Gillespie's sextet and big band. Around 1950 Stitt began playing tenor and baritone. Throughout most of the rest of his career he led a variety of small groups, often assembling them for each new gig as he traveled the country. During the '60s he worked again with Dizz y and with Miles Davis when he replaced John Coltrane. During the '70s Sonny continued working with numerous groups that were prominent in bop. His last performance took place, just a few days before his death, in 1982 while in Japan. Stitt's early playing show clearly that he was influenced by Charlie Parker and at times he actually imitated Parker's tone quality and vibrato. Over the years he slowly developed his own melodic sound. He probably took up the tenor sax in an effort to escape his image as a Parker follower. The baritone was a temporary diversion, as his most distinctive work was on the tenor sax. Sonny Stitt died in 1982.
Bobby Durham, Drums, Philadelphia, PA
By the time Bobby was in his teens he was playing with various bands in the Philadelphia area. Over the years he has alternated his home between Italy and Philadelphia while working with numerous "name" bands and small groups on both sides of the Atlantic.He is perhaps best known for his association with several of Oscar Peterson's groups. He also spent a considerable amount of time with Ella Fitzgerald and Shirley Scott. He was a favorite of Norman Granz, who used him frequently with Ella and also with Count Basie, Joe Pass, Tommy Flanagan, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. Bobby worked with military bands from 1956 to 1959. In 1960 Bobby moved to New York and began working with many mainstream jazz greats such as Lloyd Price, Wild Bill Davis, Lionel Hampton, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Rowes, and Count Basie. While with Basie he met the trombonist, Al Gray, with whom he formed an important association when Gray formed his own band. Although Bobby worked with many musicians, he managed to play for long periods with Ella Fitzgerald (10 years), Oscar Peterson (10 years), and Duke Ellington for 5 years. He was also in demand with vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Marvin Gaye. He has also performed frequently on national television productions. Bobby is also known as a scat singer, a talent he uses extensively with his own groups.
James "Blood" Ulmer, Guitar, 1942, St Matthews, SC
