Albert Omega Sears (February 21, 1910 – March 23, 1990)
was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
tenor saxophonist and bandleader, sometimes credited as Big Al Sears.
Sears was born in
Macomb,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
, United States.
His first major gig came in 1928 when he replaced
Johnny Hodges
Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...
in
Chick Webb's ensemble.
Following this he played with
Elmer Snowden
Elmer Chester Snowden (October 9, 1900 – May 14, 1973) was an American banjo player of the jazz age. He also played guitar and, in the early stages of his career, all the reed instruments. He contributed greatly to jazz in its early days as b ...
(1931–32), then led his own groups between 1933 and 1941.
In the early 1940s he was with
Andy Kirk (1941–42) and
Lionel Hampton (1943-44) before he became a member of
Duke Ellington's Orchestra in 1944, replacing
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Career Early life and career
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...
.
He remained with Ellington until 1949,
when first
Jimmy Forrest and then
Paul Gonsalves took over his chair. He played with Johnny Hodges in 1951–52 and recorded the tune "Castle Rock" with him;
the tune became a hit but was released under Hodges's name.
Sears was in
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...
's band when Freed did live shows, being introduced as "Big Al Sears."
He played as a studio musician on
R&B albums in the 1950s and recorded two albums for
Swingville in 1960. He also owned several record labels, including Arock, Serock, and Gator.
In 1990, he died in
St. Albans, New York, at the age of 80.
Discography
As leader
* ''Grade A Dance Music with a Swing Beat'' (Audio Lab, 1960)
* ''
Swing's the Thing'' (Prestige, 1960)
* ''
Rockin' in Rhythm'' with
Taft Jordan
Taft Jordan (February 15, 1915 – December 1, 1981) was an American jazz trumpeter.
Life and career
He was born in Florence, South Carolina, United States. Jordan played early in his career with the Washboard Rhythm Kings, before becoming a me ...
and
Hilton Jefferson
Hilton Jefferson (July 30, 1903 – November 14, 1968) was an American jazz alto saxophonist born in Danbury, Connecticut, United States, perhaps best known for leading the saxophone section from 1940–1949 in the Cab Calloway band. Jefferson ...
as the Swingville All-Stars (Prestige, 1960)
* ''
Things Ain't What They Used to Be
"Things Ain't What They Used to Be" is a 1942 jazz standard with music by Mercer Ellington and lyrics by Ted Persons.
Background
In 1941 there was a strike against the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, of which Duke Elling ...
'' (Swingville, 1961)
As sideman
*
Mildred Anderson
Mildred Anderson was an American jazz, blues and R&B singer.
In the early years of her career, Anderson worked with Albert Ammons and His Rhythm Kings, recording with them the song "Doin' the Boogie Woogie" on April 8, 1946. Later, she worked an ...
, ''
No More in Life
''No More in Life'' is the second album by jazz vocalist Mildred Anderson recorded in 1960 and released on the Bluesville label early the following year. '' (Prestige, 1961)
*
Aretha Franklin, ''Aretha'' (Columbia, 1961)
*
Al Hibbler, ''
After the Lights Go Down Low'' (Atlantic 1957)
*
Johnny Hodges
Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...
, ''
Castle Rock'' (Norgran, 1955)
* Johnny Hodges, ''
In a Tender Mood
''In a Tender Mood'' is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges featuring performances recorded in 1951 and 1952 and released on the Norgran label. '' (Norgan, 1955)
*
Budd Johnson
Albert J. "Budd" Johnson III (December 14, 1910 – October 20, 1984) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who worked extensively with, among others, Ben Webster, Benny Goodman, Big Joe Turner, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke ...
, ''
Blues a la Mode
''Blues a la Mode'' is an album by saxophonist Budd Johnson which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Felsted label. '' (Felsted, 1958)
*
Jimmy Witherspoon
James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer.
Early life, family and education
Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...
, ''
Goin' to Kansas City Blues'' (RCA Victor, 1958)
References
Other sources
*
Scott Yanow,
Al Sears
Albert Omega Sears (February 21, 1910 – March 23, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader, sometimes credited as Big Al Sears.
Sears was born in Macomb, Illinois, United States. His first major gig came in 1928 when he r ...
at
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
*Scott DeVeaux and Barry Kernfeld. "Sears, Al." ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2nd ed. Oxford University Press.
External links
About Al Sears
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sears, Al
1910 births
1990 deaths
American jazz bandleaders
American jazz saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Duke Ellington Orchestra members
Groove Records artists
Jazz musicians from Illinois
People from Macomb, Illinois
RCA Victor artists
20th-century American musicians
20th-century saxophonists
American male jazz musicians
20th-century American male musicians