Paul Quinichette (May 17, 1916 – May 25, 1983)
Early life
Quinichette was born in
Denver,
Colorado.
He had clarinet and alto saxophone lessons as a child, before switching to tenor saxophone.
Around the age of 13, he had informal lessons from
Lester Young.
Quinichette attended Denver University, transferred to Tennessee State College, and then returned to Denver University, from which he graduated in music. While in college he played with local bands, and during summer vacations he toured with
Nat Towles and the trumpeter
Lloyd Hunter.
Later life and career
Quinichette worked with
Shorty Sherock in the late 1930s, and was then with
Ernie Fields (1942), and
Jay McShann (1942–43).
He was with
Johnny Otis on the West Coast from 1945 to 1947, then went to New York with
Louis Jordan in 1947.
In New York he played with various musicians before joining
Count Basie in 1951.
After two years with Basie, and buoyed by the success of his own recordings for
EmArcy Records, Quinichette left to form his own band.
In the mid to late 1950s, Quinichette also accompanied vocalist Dinah Washington on EmArcy recordings, and played with Benny Goodman and Nat Pierce (both 1955), John Coltrane (1957), and Billie Holiday.
Quinichette died in New York City on May 25, 1983.
Playing style
Grove comments that "Quinichette's style displayed a sense of swing unequaled among those musicians who followed Young."
Writing in 1959, critic John S. Wilson stated that, after leaving Basie, "Quinichette has inclined to a coarseness of tone and ideas and an attack that stems as much from the less palatable side of
Illinois Jacquet as it does from Young."
Discography
-
The Vice Pres (Emarcy 1951–52)
-
Blow Your Horn (Brunswick, 1953)
-
Moods (EmArcy, 1954)
-
The Kid From Denver (Dawn, 1956)
-
On the Sunny Side (Prestige, 1957)
-
Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinichette (Prestige, 1957 1959) with John Coltrane
-
The Chase Is On (Bethlehem, 1957) – with Charlie Rouse
-
For Basie (Prestige, 1957) - with Shad Collins, Freddie Green, Walter Page, Jo Jones and Nat Pierce
-
Basie Reunion (Prestige, 1958) - with Buck Clayton, Shad Collins, Jack Washington, Freddie Green, Eddie Jones, Joe Jones, and Nat Pierce
-
Like Basie! (United Artists, 1959)
-
Prevue (Famous Door, 1974)
As sideman
With Gene Ammons
-
The Big Sound (Prestige, 1958)
-
Groove Blues (Prestige, 1958)
With Count Basie
-
The Count! (Clef, 1952 1955)
-
Basie Jazz (Clef, 1952 1954)
-
The Swinging Count! (Clef 1952 1956)
-
Dance Session Album No. 2 (Clef, 1954)
With Bob Brookmeyer
-
Kansas City Revisited (United Artists, 1958)
With Billie Holiday
-
An Evening with Billie Holiday (Clef, 1953)
-
Lady Sings the Blues (Clef, 1956)
With Jay McShann
-
The Last of the Blue Devils (Atlantic, 1978)
With The Prestige All Stars
-
Wheelin' & Dealin' (Prestige, 1957) – with John Coltrane and Frank Wess
With Sarah Vaughan
-
Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (EmArcy, 1954) – with Clifford Brown
With Eddie Vinson
-
Clean Head's Back in Town (Bethlehem, 1957)
With Mal Waldron
With Dinah Washington
-
Blazing Ballads (Mercury, 1952)
-
After Hours with Miss "D" (EmArcy, 1954)
-
For Those In Love (EmArcy, 1955)
With Webster Young
See also
External links
