Sonny Simmons
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Sonny Simmons
Huey "Sonny" Simmons (August 4, 1933 – April 6, 2021) was an American jazz musician. Biography Simmons was born on August 4, 1933 in Sicily Island, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California, where he began playing the English horn. (Along with Vinny Golia, Simmons was among the few musicians to play the instrument in a jazz context.) At age 16 he took up the alto saxophone, which became his primary instrument. Simmons played primarily in an avant-garde style, often delving into free jazz. His then-wife, Barbara Donald, played trumpet on several of his early records, including his ESP-Disk titles '' Staying on the Watch'' and ''Music from the Spheres''; Arhoolie title ''Manhattan Egos'', and Contemporary titles ''Rumasuma'' and the double album ''Burning Spirits''. Simmons also partnered with Prince Lasha on several recordings, two of which – ''The Cry!'' (1963) and ''Firebirds'' (1968) – were released by Contemporary. Personal problems derailed both his music career a ...
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Staying On The Watch
''Staying on the Watch'' is the debut album by jazz musician Sonny Simmons. It was released as ESP-1030 on the ESP-Disk label in 1966. The cover photograph is a mirror image displaying Simmons playing left handed against the NYC skyline.Sonny Simmons sessionography
accessed December 28, 2012
The album was included in the 2005 compilation ''The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings''.


Reception

, writing in '''' considered the album "a masterpiece of new jazz". ...
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Music From The Spheres
''Music from the Spheres'' is an album by saxophonist Sonny Simmons. It was recorded in December 1966, and was released by ESP-Disk in 1968. On the album, Simmons is joined by saxophonist Bert Wilson, trumpeter Barbara Donald, pianist Mike Cohen, bassist Juney Booth, and drummer Jim Zitro. The album was included in the 2005 compilation ''The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings''. Reception In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "Composition was the motivating factor for Simmons as a musician at the time, and despite his great talent as an improviser, it remains in the hold of his operative sustenance... here Simmons used strong modal figures to serve as both melody lines, stacking all of his players accordingly on the line, and equally as harmonic building blocks from which to continually push forward mode and interval... There aren't any weak moments here, just a very expansive hint on what was to come." The authors of ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' awarded the album 3 stars, and ...
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Sicily Island, Louisiana
Sicily Island is a village in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 336 at the 2020 census. Geography Sicily Island is located in northeastern Catahoula Parish at (31.846573, -91.658925). U.S. Route 425 passes through the village, leading north to Winnsboro and southeast to Natchez, Mississippi. Louisiana State Highway 8 leads southwest to Harrisonburg, the Catahoula Parish seat. According to the United States Census Bureau, Sicily Island has a total area of , all land. Despite its name, Sicily Island is not an island; instead, nearby lakes and rivers gave the area a shape early settlers considered reminiscent of the island of Sicily. History In the early 1700s, the area that would become Sicily Island was the site of a Natchez settlement. In January 1731, towards the end of the Natchez Revolt, French forces besieged the Natchez fort, compelling the surrender of 45 men and 450 women and children. Although the bulk of the Natchez leaders and war ...
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Barbara Donald
Barbara Kay Donald (September 2, 1942 – March 23, 2013) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. Life and career She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Donald began playing trumpet aged eight in Minnesota, and her family relocated to California when she was a teenager. Beginning in the early 1960s, she began touring with both rhythm and blues and jazz ensembles throughout the US, and played with John Coltrane, Stanley Cowell, Richard Davis (bassist), Richard Davis, Dexter Gordon, Roland Kirk, Prince Lasha, and Sonny Simmons. In 1964, Donald and Simmons married; one of their children, Zarak Simmons, became a percussionist. Starting in 1978, she began recording with her own ensembles, while living in Washington (state), Washington, for the label Cadence Jazz. Her sidemen at one time included her son Zarak, Gary Peacock, Carter Jefferson and Rahn Burton. After experiencing a series of strokes rendering her unable to actively play live, Donald lived in an assis ...
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West Wind Records
West Wind Records was a jazz record label that released albums by many notable musicians during the 1980s. Some of these albums were previously issued on labels such as Circle Records. Discography * 001 Anthony Braxton – ''The Coventry Concert '' 1980 * 002 ''Archie Shepp plays Sydney Bechet: Passport to Paradise'' Impro 06 1981 * 003 Manfred Zepf & Andrew Cyrille – ''Paintings'' * 004 Anthony Braxton ''If Memory Serves Me Right'' 1987 * 005 Sunny Murray – ''Indelicacy'' 1987 * 006 Archie Shepp Bird Fire: ''A Tribute to Charlie Parker'' Impro 05 1979 * 007 Harry Beckett – ''Bremen Concert'' 1987 * 008 String Trio of New York & Jay Clayton 1987 * 011 Steve Lacy ''Live in Budapest'' 1988 * 012 Georg Graewe ''Six Studies For Piano Solo'' * 014 John Lindberg Revolving Ensemble ''Relative Reliability'' 1988 * 016 Eric Dolphy ''Unrealized Tapes'' 1964 * 017 Dresch 4tet from Hungary ''Live in Cologne'' 1988 * 019 Gary Bartz, Lee Konitz, Jackie McLean, Charlie Mariano with Joachim ...
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Burning Spirits
''Burning Spirits'' is a double album by American jazz saxophonist Sonny Simmons (credited as Huey Simmons on the initial release), which was recorded in 1970 and released on the Contemporary label. Reception AllMusic awarded the album four stars with its review by Alex Henderson stating: "''Burning Spirits'' is generally more free jazz than post-bop. But regardless of whether Simmons is playing inside or outside (usually outside), the saxman plays with tremendous conviction on this album." Robert Palmer of ''Rolling Stone'' commented: "Simmons and friends have taken the developments of the past ten years ..and compacted them into an ever-changing kaleidoscope of spaces and densities that make a lot of what's ''au courant'' seem pale by comparison. If you buy only one LP of 'jazz' music this year, make it this one." Writing for All About Jazz, Jeff Stockton commented: "it would be nearly 22 years before immonsmade another significant recording after ''Burning Spirits''. The h ...
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Rumasuma
''Rumasuma'' is an album by the saxophonist Sonny Simmons, which was recorded in 1969 and released on the Contemporary label in 1970. Reception AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow described the album as containing "exciting and very creative music." ''Jazz & Blues'' wrote that "Simmons and his associates bring to all these items an intensity of purpose which transcends their differing characteristics, so that the impression the listener takes away is of a group of players at once liberated from stylistic prejudice and wholeheartedly committed to the task at hand." The editors of ''Billboard'' included the album in their list of "4 Star" releases. Track listing ''All compositions by Sonny Simmons'' # "Rumasuma" - 10:50 # "Back to the Apple" - 10:25 # "Reincarnation" - 11:35 # "For Posterity" - 10:38 Personnel *Sonny Simmons - alto saxophone *Barbara Donald - trumpet *Michael Cohen - piano *Bill Pickens, Jerry Sealand - double bass *Billy Higgins - drums A drum kit (also called ...
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Michael Marcus (musician)
Michael Marcus (August 25, 1952) is an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist. He plays B & A clarinets, bass clarinet; sopranino, soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, and C melody saxophones, stritch (straight alto) saxophone, saxello, bass flute, tárogató & alto tarogato, and octavin. In 1991 Enja released ''Under the Wire'', his debut album as a leader. at ''All About Jazz'' He has worked with artists including: Albert King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Frank Lowe, Henry Grimes, Jaki Byard, Rahn Burton, Vince Wallace, Fred Hopkins, Denis Charles, Jay Rosen, Tarus Mateen, Perry Robinson, Warren Smith and Edgar Bateman to name a few. Marcus and Ted Daniel comprise Duology, which has collaborated with Andrew Cyrille and Henry Grimes. With Sonny Simmons, he is the co-leader of The Cosmosamatics. Michael was rewarded an individual performance grant from the NEA (National Endowment of the Arts)-composing for a string quartet in conjunction with his original music. Discography As le ...
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Saalfelden
Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer is a town in the district of Zell am See District, Zell am See in the Austrian state of Salzburg (state), Salzburg. With approximately 16,000 inhabitants, Saalfelden is the district's largest town and Salzburg (state)#Major cities and towns, the third of the federal state after Salzburg and Hallein. Geography Although the Saalfelden area has always been the most populous of the historic Zell am See District, Pinzgau region, the seat of the district administration is situated in the neighbouring town of Zell am See. Saalfelden Basin Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer lies at above sea level and its municipal area covers . The largest proportion of the municipality is formed by the Saalfelden Structural basin, Basin (''Saalfeldner Becken'') situated between the Northern Limestone Alps ranges of: * the Steinernes Meer high plateau to the north, forming the border with Germany * the Leogang Mountains and the Biberg to the west * the Hochkönig (mountain), Ho ...
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Moers Festival
The Moers Festival is an annual international music festival in Moers, Germany. The festival has changed from concentrating on free jazz to including world and pop music, though it still invites many avant-garde jazz musicians. Performers at Moers include Lester Bowie, Fred Frith, Jan Garbarek, Herbie Hancock, Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Sun Ra, Archie Shepp, and Cecil Taylor. The festival is officially named "mœrs festival" with lowercase letters. History left, In 1978 the International New Jazz Festival Moers took place outdoors. (picture David Friedman) On stage Ned Rothenberg Double Band, 2004 The festival was founded in 1971 by Burkhard Hennen. Three years later, he formed Moers Music to sell performances recorded at the festival. In the early years the festival took place in the paved yard of the castle. In 1975 it was moved to a nearby park because of increased attendance. After a few years outdoors, it moved to a large venue. African Dance Night was added in 19 ...
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Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992. Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor before working on pop music and film scores. He moved easily between musical genres, producing pop hit records for Lesley Gore in the early 1960s (including " It's My Party") and serving as an arranger and conductor for several collaborations between the jazz artists Frank Sinatra and Count Basie in the same time period. In 1968, Jones became the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "The Eyes of Love" from the film '' Banning''. Jones was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the 1967 film ''In Cold Blood'', making him the ...
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Firebirds (album)
''Firebirds'' is a 1968 album by two American jazz musicians, Prince Lasha (alto saxophone, flute, alto clarinet) and Sonny Simmons (alto saxophone, English horn). Other participating musicians in this album were bassist Buster Williams, drummer Charles Moffett and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. Reception The album was praised by critics, and Scott Yanow from Allmusic gave it five stars as an AMG pick. Track listing Personnel * Prince Lasha - alto saxophone, alto clarinet, flute * Sonny Simmons - alto saxophone, english horn * Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone * Buster Williams - bass * Charles Moffett Charles Moffett (September 6, 1929 – February 14, 1997) was an American free jazz drummer. Biography Moffett was born in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended I.M. Terrell High School with Ornette Coleman. Before switching to drums, Moffett ... - drums References {{Authority control Free jazz albums 1968 albums Prince Lasha albums Sonny Simmons albums Contemporary ...
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