Bud Shank
Bud Shank | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Clifford Everett Shank Jr. |
Born | Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | May 27, 1926
Died | April 2, 2009 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | (aged 82)
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Alto saxophone, flute, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone |
Years active | 1946–2009 |
Website | www |
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009)[1] was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first-call studio musician in Hollywood. In the 1970s and 1980s, he performed regularly with the L. A. Four. Shank ultimately abandoned the flute to focus exclusively on playing jazz on the alto saxophone. He also recorded on tenor and baritone sax. His most famous recording is probably the version of "Harlem Nocturne" used as the theme song in Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer.[2] He is also well known for the alto flute solo on the song "California Dreamin'" recorded by The Mamas & the Papas in 1965.
Biography
Bud Shank was born in
In 1974, Shank joined with Ray Brown, Shelly Manne (replaced by Jeff Hamilton after 1977), and Laurindo Almeida to form the group the L.A. Four, who recorded and toured extensively through 1982.[1] Shank helped to popularize both Latin-flavored and chamber jazz music, and as a musician's musician also performed with orchestras as diverse as the Royal Philharmonic, the New American Orchestra, the Gerald Wilson Big Band, Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra, and Duke Ellington.[4]
In 2005, he formed the Bud Shank Big Band in Los Angeles to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra.[1]
A documentary film about Shank, Bud Shank: Against the Tide (Portrait of a Jazz Legend), was produced and directed by Graham Carter and released by Jazzed Media as a DVD (with a companion CD) in 2008. The film has been awarded four indie film awards including an Aurora Awards Gold.
Shank died on April 2, 2009, of a
Discography
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Bud Shank | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ "Memoirs of a Famous Composer". Thescl.com. October 29, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ Talbot, Bruce. "Jazz Profiles: Bud Shank". NPR. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
- Jazz Forum106 (May 1987), 23-27.
- ^ Thurber, Jon (April 6, 2009). "Bud Shank dies at 82; alto saxophonist was immersed in West Coast jazz scene". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
- ^ Weber, Bruce (April 7, 2009). "Bud Shank, Jazz Saxophonist, Is Dead at 82". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
External links
- Interview at All About Jazz
- Bud Shank, encyclopedia entry at Jazz.com
- Bud Shank discography at Discogs
- Bud Shank at IMDb