Duke Pearson

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Columbus Calvin Jr. "Duke" Pearson (* 17th August 1932 in Atlanta , Georgia ; † 4. August 1980 ) was an American jazz - pianist , and -producer - Composer .

Live and act

Duke Pearson mastered the piano at the age of five and also played the mellophone, tenor horn and trumpet at twelve. First he played as a trumpeter in the US Army from 1953 to 1954 (with Wynton Kelly and Phineas Newborn , among others ) and from 1954 to 57 piano in local orchestras. Pearson had his own trio and played in the Louis Smith quintet from 1957-58. In early 1959, Pearson came to New York City and played with Donald Byrd from late 1959 . During this time his first solo LP Profile was created . For Byrd he wrote the pieces Noah, March Children, Christo Redentor and Chant . In 1960 he played with Art Farmer and Benny Golson in their Jazztet and in 1961 went on tour with Nancy Wilson .

After he had initiated the short-lived label Jazztime Records with Fred Norsworthy and Dave Bailey , on which his albums Reaching Out and Hush with Donald Byrd and Johnny Coles had been released, he was also the producer and musical director of the record label Blue Note as successor from 1963 to 1970 of the late Ike Quebec . At Blue Note he was also involved as a pianist or composer on the recordings of Hank Mobley , Dakota Staton , Lee Morgan , Stanley Turrentine , Bobby Hutcherson , Grant Green and Flora Purim . He himself recorded the album Sweet Honey Bee on Blue Note , on which Freddie Hubbard , James Spaulding , Joe Henderson , Ron Carter and Mickey Roker participated. In 1967 he got the opportunity to record a big band album for Blue Note with Randy Brecker , Jimmy Cleveland , Julian Priester , Garnett Brown , Pepper Adams and Jerry Dodgion .

In 1971 Pearson returned to Atlanta, where he worked as a teacher at Clark College and later received an honorary doctorate. An illness from multiple sclerosis ended his musical activities.

Selection discography

As a leader

  • 1959: Profiles and Tender Feelin’s ( Blue Note Records )
  • 1961: Bags' Groove ( Black Lion Records )
  • 1962: Hush! (Jazzline)
  • 1964: Wahoo! (Blue note)
  • 1965: Honeybuns ( Atlantic Records ) and Sweet Honey Bee (Blue Note)
  • 1967: The Right Touch and Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band (Blue Note)
  • 1968: Now Hear This (Blue Note)
  • 1970: I Don't Care Who Knows It and How Intensitive (with Flora Purim) (Blue Note)

As a sideman

  • Grant Green: Idle Moments (Blue Note, 1963)
  • Stanley Turrentine: The Spoiler (Blue Note, 1966)
  • Joe Henderson: The Blue Note Years 1963-1990 (Blue Note, 1993)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Pearson plates on Blue Note Records are no longer available in part, but pieces of it on various Blue Note samplers like Blue 'N Groovy, Blue Bossa, The Lost Grooves, Deep Blue, Midnight Blue appeared
  2. ^ Duke Pearson Discography at jazzdisco.org
personal data
SURNAME Pearson, Duke
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pearson, Columbus Calvin Jr.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz pianist, producer and composer
DATE OF BIRTH August 17, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Atlanta , Georgia
DATE OF DEATH 4th August 1980
Place of death Atlanta , Georgia