Artist Biography by Bill Dahl
Equally at home blowing scorching R&B or tasty jazz, Hal "Cornbread"
Singer has played and recorded both over a career spanning more than
half a century. Singer picked up his early experience as a hornman with
various Southwestern territory bands, including the outfits of Ernie
Fields, Lloyd Hunter, and Nat Towles. He made it to Kansas City in 1939,
working with pianist Jay McShann (whose sax section also included
Charlie Parker), before venturing to New York, in 1941, and playing with
Hot Lips Page, Earl Bostic, Don Byas, and Roy Eldridge (with whom he
first recorded in 1944). After the close of the war, Singer signed on
with Lucky Millinder's orchestra.
Singer had just fulfilled his life's ambition -- a chair in Duke
Ellington's prestigious reed section -- in 1948, when a honking R&B
instrumental called "Cornbread" that he'd recently waxed for Savoy as a
leader began to take off. That presented a wrenching dilemma for the
young saxist, but in the end, his decision to go out on his own paid
off; "Cornbread" paced the R&B charts for four weeks and gave him
his enduring nickname. Another of his Savoy instrumentals, "Beef Stew,"
also cracked the R&B lists.
Singer recorded rocking R&B workouts for Savoy into 1956 (the
cuisine motif resulting in helpings of "Neck Bones," "Rice and Red
Beans," and "Hot Bread"), working with sidemen including pianists Wynton
Kelly and George Rhodes, guitarist Mickey Baker, bassist Walter Page,
and drummer Panama Francis. One of his last dates for the firm produced
the torrid "Rock 'n' Roll," which may have featured Singer as vocalist
as well as saxist.
By the late '50s, Singer had abandoned rock & roll for a life as a
jazz saxist. He recorded for Prestige in a more restrained manner in
1959, and stayed in that general groove. Singer relocated to Paris in
1965, winning over European audiences with his hearty blowing and
engaging in quite a bit of session work with visiting blues and jazz
luminaries. The old R&B fire flared up temporarily in 1990, when he
cut Royal Blue for Black Top with boogie piano specialist Al Copley.
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Biografía del artista por Bill Dahl
Igualmente en casa, con un excelente R&B o un sabroso jazz, Hal
"Cornbread" Singer ha jugado y grabado ambos durante una carrera que
abarca más de medio siglo. Singer aprendió su primera experiencia como
hornman con varias bandas del territorio del Suroeste, incluidos los
equipos de Ernie Fields, Lloyd Hunter y Nat Towles. Llegó a Kansas City
en 1939, trabajando con el pianista Jay McShann (cuya sección de saxofón
también incluía a Charlie Parker), antes de aventurarse a Nueva York,
en 1941, y tocar con Hot Lips Page, Earl Bostic, Don Byas y Roy Eldridge
( con quien grabó por primera vez en 1944). Después del final de la
guerra, Singer firmó con la orquesta de Lucky Millinder.
Singer acababa de cumplir con la ambición de su vida, una silla en la
prestigiosa sección de caña de Duke Ellington, en 1948, cuando comenzó a
despegar un instrumental de R&B llamado "Cornbread" que
recientemente había elegido para Savoy como líder. Eso presentaba un
dilema desgarrador para el joven saxista, pero al final, su decisión de
salir por su cuenta dio sus frutos; "Cornbread" estuvo en el ritmo de
las listas de R&B durante cuatro semanas y le dio su apodo
perdurable. Otro de sus instrumentos de Savoy, "Beef Stew", también
rompió las listas de R&B.
Singer grabó los entrenamientos de R&B para Savoy en 1956 (el motivo
de la cocina resultó en "Neck Bones", "Rice and Red Beans" y "Hot
Bread"), trabajando con sidemen, incluidos los pianistas Wynton Kelly y
George Rhodes, el guitarrista Mickey Baker , el bajista Walter Page, y
el baterista Panama Francis. Una de sus últimas fechas para la firma
produjo el tórrido "Rock 'n' Roll", que puede haber presentado a Singer
como vocalista y saxista.
A finales de los años 50, Singer había abandonado el rock & roll por
una vida como saxista de jazz. Grabó para Prestige de una manera más
moderada en 1959, y se mantuvo en ese ritmo general. Singer se mudó a
París en 1965, conquistando a las audiencias europeas con su buen
corazón y participando en un poco de trabajo de sesión con visitantes de
luminarias de blues y jazz. El antiguo incendio de R&B estalló
temporalmente en 1990, cuando cortó Royal Blue para Black Top con el
especialista en pianos Al Copley.
