David Newman (jazz musician)

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David Newman

David "Fathead" Newman (born February 24, 1933 in Corsicana , Texas , † January 20, 2009 in Kingston , New York) was an American tenor saxophonist in jazz and blues . He supposedly had the suffix “Fathead” because he easily appropriated and mastered many pieces of music by heart.

Live and act

First Newman played after high school in Dallas , then in the group of alto saxophonist Buster Smith (as previously Charlie Parker ) and then joined Red Connors . Since 1952 he worked in rhythm and blues bands, such as T-Bone Walker and Lowell Fulson ; from 1954 he was engaged for a decade with Fulson's former pianist Ray Charles . With Charles he began as a baritone saxophonist; later he was one of the most frequently used soloists in his band as a tenor. Since the 1950s, Newman was also a studio musician , especially for Atlantic Records , often active when a hard, driving tenor saxophone was needed; He played for Aretha Franklin , BB King , the Average White Band , Eric Clapton , Natalie Cole , Aaron Neville and Dr. John as well as in the 1960s for King Curtis and for Herbie Mann in the 1970s.

Newman repeatedly led his own bands and since 1959 has produced records under his own name, sometimes with his saxophone colleague Hank Crawford . But he was also invited to recordings by Stanley Turrentine , Red Garland , Jimmy McGriff , Blue Mitchell (1970), Roy Ayers (1971) and Junior Mance (1983). In the field of jazz, according to Tom Lord , he was involved in 248 recording sessions between 1954 and 2009. For his work with Dr. John and Art Blakey was nominated for a Grammy in 1990.

In 2003 he performed at the JazzFest Berlin .

Newman died on January 20, 2009 of complications from a pancreatic tumor that he had suffered from since 2008.

Discographic notes

  • House of David (Rhino 1952-1989)
  • Lone Star Legend (1981)
  • Still Hard Times (Muse, 1982; with Hank Crawford, Larry Willis , Walter Booker , Jimmy Cobb )
  • Heads Up (1987)
  • Fire! Live at the Village Vanguard (1989)
  • Bluesiana Triangle (1990)
  • Blue Greens and Beans (1990)
  • Blue Head (1990)
  • Bigger And Better (1993)
  • Mr. Gentle, Mr. Cool (Kokopelli, 1994; with Jim Pugh , Ron Carter , Lewis Nash )
  • Under a Woodstock Moon (1996)
  • It's Mr. Fathead (1998)
  • Chillin ' (1999)
  • Captain Buckles (2000)
  • Davey Blue (2001)
  • The Gift (2003)
  • Song for the New Man (2004; with John Hicks , Curtis Fuller , John Menegon , Jimmy Cobb)
  • I Remember Brother Ray (2005)
  • Cityscape (2006)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed November 1, 2019)
  2. ^ "Saxophonist Newman died at the age of 75" ; Obituary in the Weser-Kurier of January 28, 2009, p. 24.
  3. ^ Obituary in the Washington Post of January 21, 2009 (accessed January 24, 2009)
  4. ^ Obituary in the New York Times, January 22, 2009 (accessed January 28, 2009).

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Newman, David
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fathead (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American tenor saxophonist
DATE OF BIRTH February 24, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH Corsicana , Texas
DATE OF DEATH January 20, 2009
Place of death Kingston , New York