One of the most distinctive solo voices in jazz, the Alto Saxophonist was inextricably bound up with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, which he first joined in may 1928, remaining for most of the rest of his life, apart from a brief venture into bandleading from 1951-5. His plaintive blues playing was as memorable as his haunting ballad playing, and although he was capable of producing a tone of incredible beauty and intensity, he could also add a jazzy edge to his sound, and play in a jumping swing style.
profile & recordings >>