Billy Phipps
Billy Phipps (25 December 1931 – 3 December 2011) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer who contributed to the development of a wide range of jazz styles including hard bop, soul jazz, Latin jazz, and primitive.
Career
Phipps was born on December 25, 1931, in Newark, New Jersey, United States into a jazz family.[1] Billy's cousin, Eugene Phipps, Sr. traveled with Billie Holiday, Joe Guy, Max Roach and Ike Quebec on a national tour. Cousin Ernie Phipps led the big band The Monarchs of Rhythm with Eugene Phipps, Sr. at the Savoy Ballroom along with The Sultans of Swing, Poncho Diggs, and other big bands. During the 1950s Eugene Phipps co-led the house band at Newark's legendary Washington Bar, which featured performers such as Babs Gonzales, Lew-Rew Jordan, and Ike Quebec.[2]
In the 1950s Billy Phipps along with brother Nat Phipps formed a band whose members included
Recording and performance
Phipps recorded baritone sax on several seminal jazz albums, including
Selected discography
- Gil MelleQuartet (LP), Prestige Records, 1956
- Gin and Orange – Jack McDuff (Album, CD), Cadet, 1969
- Ocho (LP, Album), West Side Latino Records, 1972
- Joy of Cookin' – Joe Thomas (LP), Groove Merchant, 1972
- Tornado (LP), El Sonido, 1976
- Mamey Colora'o / Sneakin' Up Behind You (LP), El Sonido, 1976
- Sabroso!: The Afro-Latin Groove (LP), Rhino Records, 1998
- Ocho (The First Album) (CD, Album, RE), Universal Sound 2000
- The Woman in Me (CD),
Laranah Phipps Flat 5 Records (USA), 2001
- Moon Rappin' (CD), Blue Note Records (USA), 2002
- Phipps & Friends (CD), Pipeline Music (USA), 2010
References
- ^ Swing City: Newark Nightlife, 1925–50 (2002) pp. 212–213. Barbara J. Kukla, Rutgers University Press, New Jersey.
- ^ Sterling, Guy (2003-09-28). "Jazztown USA – for generations, Newark was a musical mecca". New Jersey Star Ledger. New Jersey On-Line. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
- ^ New Jersey Star Ledger, 2007-04-15. Holiday in Newark: An anniversary remembrance of the jazz legend. http://newarktalk.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=8242&sid=e3f8549884bcb5693a0e71da2d901bbe Archived 2011-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Baraka, Amiri (2003-06-01). "Jazz and the White Critic 30 Years Later". The Blacklisted Journalist. Archived from the original on 2009-06-03. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
- ^ Essential Jazz Records, Vol. 2: Modernism to Postmodernism (2000) p. 628
Max Harrison, Eric Thacker, ISBN 978-0-7201-1822-3
- ^ Hentoff, Nat (2003-09-30). "Another Great Night in Harlem". Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
- ^ Venutolo, Anthony (2007-11-15). "Elder saxman feels blessed to keep playing". New Jersey Star-Ledger. New Jersey On-Line. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 15 January 2010.