Artist Biography
Gene Ammons, who had a huge and immediately recognizable tone on tenor,
was a very flexible player who could play bebop with the best (always
battling his friend Sonny Stitt to a tie) yet was an influence on the
R&B world. Some of his ballad renditions became hits and, despite
two unfortunate interruptions in his career, Ammons remained a popular
attraction for 25 years.
Son of the great boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons (who
was nicknamed "Jug") left Chicago at age 18 to work with King Kolax's
band. He originally came to fame as a key soloist with Billy Eckstine's
orchestra during 1944-1947, trading off with Dexter Gordon on the famous
Eckstine record Blowing the Blues Away. Other than a notable stint with
Woody Herman's Third Herd in 1949 and an attempt at co-leading a two
tenor group in the early '50s with Sonny Stitt, Ammons worked as a
single throughout his career, recording frequently (most notably for
Prestige) in settings ranging from quartets and organ combos to all-star
jam sessions. Drug problems kept him in prison during much of 1958-1960
and, due to a particularly stiff sentence, 1962-1969. When Ammons
returned to the scene in 1969, he opened up his style a bit, including
some of the emotional cries of the avant-garde while utilizing funky
rhythm sections, but he was still able to battle Sonny Stitt on his own
terms. Ironically the last song that he ever recorded (just a short time
before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer) was "Goodbye."
///////
Biografía del artista
Gene Ammons, que tenía un tono enorme e inmediatamente reconocible en el
tenor, era un jugador muy flexible que podía tocar el bebop con los
mejores (siempre luchando contra su amigo Sonny Stitt con un empate) y,
sin embargo, era una influencia en el mundo del R&B. Algunas de sus
interpretaciones de baladas se convirtieron en éxitos y, a pesar de dos
desafortunadas interrupciones en su carrera, Ammons siguió siendo una
atracción popular durante 25 años.
Hijo del gran pianista de boogie-woogie Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons
(apodado "Jug") dejó Chicago a los 18 años para trabajar con la banda de
King Kolax. Originalmente llegó a la fama como solista clave con la
orquesta de Billy Eckstine durante 1944-1947, intercambiando con Dexter
Gordon en el famoso disco de Eckstine Blowing the Blues Away. Aparte de
una notable temporada con Woody Herman's Third Herd en 1949 y un intento
de co-liderar un grupo de dos tenor a principios de los'50 con Sonny
Stitt, Ammons trabajó como single a lo largo de su carrera, grabando
frecuentemente (más notablemente para Prestige) en escenarios que iban
desde cuartetos y combos de órgano hasta jam sessions de estrellas. Los
problemas de drogas lo mantuvieron en prisión durante gran parte de
1958-1960 y, debido a una sentencia particularmente dura, de 1962-1969.
Cuando Ammons regresó a la escena en 1969, abrió un poco su estilo,
incluyendo algunos de los gritos emocionales de la vanguardia mientras
utilizaba secciones rítmicas funky, pero aún así fue capaz de luchar
contra Sonny Stitt en sus propios términos. Irónicamente, la última
canción que grabó (poco antes de que le diagnosticaran un cáncer
terminal) fue "Goodbye".
This file is intended only for preview!
I ask you to delete the file from your hard drive after reading it.
thank for the original uploader
No comments:
Post a Comment