Steve Douglas

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Steve Douglas (* 24. September 1938 in Hollywood , California; † 19th April 1993 in Los Angeles , actually Steven Douglas Kreisman ) was an American rock - sax player .

biography

Douglas decided to learn the tenor saxophone in the early 1950's after hearing Pachuco Hop from Chuck Higgins . After a short time in the Navy, he began playing in Duane Eddy's backing band . A year later, Douglas founded his own band in which Phil Spector sang and played guitar.

When Spector moved to New York City to become a producer in the 1960s , he hired Douglas to play on some of the Crystals and Ronettes recordings . Douglas later returned to LA, but later played for Spector on various recordings. In addition to tenor saxophone, Douglas learned baritone saxophone , flute and percussion .

When Spector began producing less than before in 1966, Douglas received calls from various bands from the west coast. Douglas can be heard on Beach Boys albums and played on Jan & Dean's greatest hits . He also accompanied the Ventures on Walk - Don't Run and the Routers on Let's Go (pony) . For two years he also worked as a label manager in the singles department for Capitol Records , where he produced Bobby Darin , among others .

Due to health problems, Douglas was unable to take on quite as many jobs in the early 1970s. He now also began to release solo albums. He recorded one of them, The Music of Cheops , inside the King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid of Cheops . Otherwise Douglas starred on productions by Bob Dylan , Ry Cooder , the Ramones , Mink DeVille and Mickey Hart in the 1970s and 1980s .

On April 19, 1993, Steve Douglas died of asystole while preparing for a session for Ry Cooder. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 in the "Sidemen" category. JJ Cale dedicated Steve's Song to the late saxophonist on his 1994 LP Closer to You .

Albums discography

solo

  • Twist with Steve Douglas and the Rebels (1962; Crown)
  • Popeye Twist Stomp (1962; Crown), with The Rebel Rousers
  • Reflections in a Golden Horn (1969; Mercury)
  • The Music of Cheops (1976; Cheops)
  • Rainbow Suite (1981; Bel Tree)
  • Hot Sax (1982; Fantasy)
  • King Cobra (1984; Fantasy)
  • Beyond Broadway (1992; EssDee)

As a session musician (selection)

Influences

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ David Leaf: The Capitol Years in: Kingsley Abbot (ed.): The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson , Hannibal-Verlag, St. Andrä-Wierter 1998, ISBN 3-85445-160-1
personal data
SURNAME Douglas, Steve
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kreisman, Steven Douglas (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American session saxophonist
DATE OF BIRTH September 24, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Hollywood , California, USA
DATE OF DEATH April 19, 1993
Place of death Los Angeles , California, USA