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Booker Little Jr. (April 2, 1938 – October 5, 1961)
– accessed June 2010
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 major ...
trumpeter and composer. He appeared on many recordings in his short career, both as a sideman and as a leader. Little performed with
Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...
,
John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...
, and
Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gai ...
and was strongly influenced by
Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...
and
Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car accident, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", an ...
. He died aged 23.


Early life

Booker Little Jr. was born in
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
,
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
to Booker, a Pullman porter who was a trombonist, and his wife Ophelia Little, who was a church organist. He also was the brother of Helena, Vivian, and
Vera Little Vera Pearl Little-Augustithis (December 10, 1928October 24, 2012) was an American contralto and mezzo-soprano opera singer who belonged to the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin for more than four decades. She performed each of the important ...
(Vera later sung with the London Opera Company). From a musically inclined family, Little naturally gravitated towards music. Like his father, he attempted to learn the trombone but instead choose clarinet at the age of 12. At 14, he finally settled on trumpet as his band director urged him play that instrument. In 1952, Little attended Manassas High School where he would begin his development on trumpet and later graduate. Being in Memphis, Little was able to develop his talent with contemporaries such as Phineas Newborn Jr.,
George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...
,
Frank Strozier Frank R. Strozier Jr. (born June 13, 1937) is a jazz alto saxophonist. Strozier was born in Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned to play piano. In 1954, he moved to Chicago, where he performed with Harold Mabern, George Coleman, and Booker Litt ...
, and his cousin Louis Smith. He was performing with Newborn on a casual basis by his mid-teens. After graduating, he moved to
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
to continue his studies at the Chicago Conservatory in 1954. At the conservatory, he continued to study trumpet but also incorporated studies in composition, theory, and orchestration with a minor in piano. He would later on graduate with a bachelors degree in his main instrument. As a sophomore, Little met
Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...
. For about nine months, they both stayed at the YMCA where Rollins would influence Little greatly by encouraging him to find his own sound versus mimicking other musicians.


Career


1958-1959: First Recordings With Max Roach + 4

While attending a recording session with Rollins, Little met drummer
Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...
in 1955. Following the death of
Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car accident, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", an ...
the next year, Little became Roach's trumpet player in his band Max Roach Four. Being in school caused a decline and he was replaced by
Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention or public ...
. Following graduation, he joined Roach's band again taking his spot back from Dorham in 1958 with Roach's group. When Little rejoined the band, he reunited with one of his friends from Memphis,
George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...
. As trumpeter, Little made his recording debut on '' Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene'' in June where Little was featured on pieces like "
My Old Flame "My Old Flame" is a 1934 song composed by Arthur Johnston with lyrics by Sam Coslow for the film ''Belle of the Nineties''. It has since become a jazz standard. History "My Old Flame" first appeared in the 1934 film ''Belle of the Nineties'' when ...
". Little recorded two more albums with the group, which Roach altered by replacing the piano with tuba player
Ray Draper Raymond Allen Draper (August 3, 1940, New York City – November 1, 1982) was an American jazz tuba player. Early life and education Draper was born in New York City and attended the Manhattan School of Music in the mid-1950s. Career As a ...
. On ''Max Roach + 4 at Newport,'' Little introduced his first composition ''Minor Mode'' and in " A Night in Tunisia" was the main soloist, and their album, '' Deeds, Not Words''. In the opening piece "
You Stepped Out of a Dream "You Stepped Out of a Dream" is a popular song with music written by Nacio Herb Brown and lyrics by Gus Kahn that was published in 1940. The song has become a pop and jazz standard, with many recorded versions. It was a centerpiece in the 1941 mu ...
" on '' Deeds, Not Words,'' Little displayed his writing and composition skills as he would have the tenor sax, trumpet, and tuba share similar melodies and tunes that would create tension but possess musicality due to the still piano-less group. Little had a hand in majority of the '' Deeds, Not Words'' album. In October, the group appeared on ABC's ''Stars of Jazz'' television program. Also during October, Little recorded his first album as a leader, '' Booker Little 4 and Max Roach'' (also known as ''The Defiant Ones'') with Roach on drums, Coleman on tenor, and Davis on bass (with
Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...
on piano). On ''The Defiant Ones,'' Little played three of his original pieces, "Rounders Mode, Dungeons Waltz", and "Jewels Tempo". Following his first album as leader, Little and ''Max Roach + 4'' recorded one more album before the end of 1958 titled ''
Award-Winning Drummer ''Award-Winning Drummer'' (also released as ''Max Roach'') is an album by American jazz drummer Max Roach featuring a session recorded in 1958 and released on the Time label.
'' under Roach's name and another titled ''Many Sides of Max Roach'' in 1959 (the second album was not released until 1964). ''Many Sides of Max Roach'' was the last album Booker Little recorded with Roach's group until 1960.


1959-1960: freelancing

During his leave, Little freelanced around New York developing new acquaintances with musicians such as
John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...
, Slide Hampton, and
Teddy Charles Teddy Charles (April 13, 1928 – April 16, 2012) was an American jazz musician and composer, whose instruments were the vibraphone, piano, and drums. Career Born Theodore Charles Cohen in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, United States, he ...
. He was present on two of the four tracks of a reunion album with his old friends Coleman, Strozier, Smith, Phineas Newborn Jr., Calvin Newborn, George Joyner, and Charles Crosby titled ''Down Home Reunion'', credited as by Young Men From Memphis, where the group displayed their interests in blues music. Through the course of the end of 1959 and early 1960, Little featured and worked on albums such as ''Slide!'', ''Bill Henderson Sings,'' and the last album he recorded before returning to Roach's group, ''
Fantastic Frank Strozier ''Fantastic Frank Strozier'' is the debut album by American saxophonist Frank Strozier, recorded in 1959 and 1960 for Vee-Jay Records. The personnel includes the rhythm section from part of Miles Davis's ''Kind of Blue'', recorded earlier in 195 ...
''. In addition, he also recorded his second album as a lead simply titled ''
Booker Little Booker Little Jr. (April 2, 1938 – October 5, 1961)
– accessed June 2010
was an American
'' for
Bob Shad Robert "Bob" Shad (born Abraham Shadrinsky; February 12, 1920 – March 13, 1985) was an American record producer and record label owner. He produced the first album by Big Brother and the Holding Company (featuring Janis Joplin). Among his ...
's Time label where he introduced his original compositions such as '"Opening Statement", "Minor Sweet", "Bee Tee's minor Plea", "Life's a Little Blue" and "The Grand Valse".


1960-1961: Eric Dolphy and final recordings

In 1960, Little rejoined Roach's band and recorded 14 albums from April 1960 to September 1961. Following his return, Little took on a bigger role being music director and composing more music for the group. The first album Roach recorded with Little as trumpeter was '' We Insist! - Freedom Now Suite''. Little continued to work with Roach but soon met
Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gai ...
. The combination of Little and Dolphy presented the possibility of the dawning of a new sound of music. At the beginning of their newfound association, Dolphy recorded ''
Far Cry ''Far Cry'' is an anthology franchise of first-person shooter games, all of which have been published by Ubisoft. The first game, '' Far Cry'', was developed by Crytek to premiere their CryEngine software, and released in March 2004. Subsequen ...
'' with Little on trumpet. In addition, Little also recorded his third album as lead '' Out Front''. This album ''Out Front'' was a result of his work on ''We Insist!'' Following the recording of ''We Insist'', Little was hired by
Nat Hentoff Nathan Irving Hentoff (June 10, 1925 – January 7, 2017) was an American historian, novelist, jazz and country music critic, and syndicated columnist for United Media. Hentoff was a columnist for ''The Village Voice'' from 1958 to 2009. Fol ...
to write for
Candid Records Candid Records was a jazz record label first established in New York City. Early Candid Records The CANDID jazz label was founded in New York City in 1960 as a subsidiary of Cadence Records, owned by Archie Bleyer. The jazz writer and civil right ...
. With Dolphy, he co-led a residency at the
Five Spot 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awar ...
club in New York in June 1961, from which three albums were eventually issued by the
Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...
label titled ''Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot Volumes 1&2'' and the ''Memorial Album''. It was during this period that he began to show promise of expanding the expressive range of the "vernacular" bebop idiom which originated with
Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car accident, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", an ...
, his most immediate influence as a performer. Booker Little recorded his final album with Roach in August 1961 titled '' Percussion Bitter Sweet'' with Dolphy on sax and recorded his last and final album as leader entitled ''
Booker Little and Friend ''Booker Little and Friend'' is the final album led by American jazz trumpeter Booker Little featuring performances recorded in 1961 for the Bethlehem label.
'' (also known as ''Victory and Sorrow''). After years of physical pain, Little died of complications resulting from
uremia Uremia is the term for high levels of urea in the blood. Urea is one of the primary components of urine. It can be defined as an excess of amino acid and protein metabolism end products, such as urea and creatinine, in the blood that would be no ...
on October 5, 1961, in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
at the age 23. He was survived by his wife, two sons Booker T. III and Larry Cornelius, and two daughters Cornelia and Ana Dorsey.


Discography


As leader

*1958: '' Booker Little 4 and Max Roach'' (
United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
) *1960: ''
Booker Little Booker Little Jr. (April 2, 1938 – October 5, 1961)
– accessed June 2010
was an American
'' (Time) *1960: '' The Soul Of Jazz Percussion Also Released as The Third World ( Warwick W-5003) *1961: '' Out Front'' ( Candid) with
Julian Priester Julian Priester (born June 29, 1935) is an American jazz trombonist and occasional euphoniumist. He is sometimes credited "Julian Priester Pepo Mtoto". He has played with Sun Ra, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. B ...
,
Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gai ...
,
Don Friedman Donald Ernest Friedman (May 4, 1935 – June 30, 2016) was an American jazz pianist. He began playing in Los Angeles and moved to New York in 1958. In the 1960s, he played with both modern stylists and more traditional musicians. Early life Fr ...
,
Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...
,
Art Davis Arthur David Davis (December 6, 1934 – July 29, 2007) was a double-bassist, known for his work with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner and Max Roach. Biography Davis was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United Stat ...
,
Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...
*1961: ''
Booker Little and Friend ''Booker Little and Friend'' is the final album led by American jazz trumpeter Booker Little featuring performances recorded in 1961 for the Bethlehem label.
'' (
Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
) This album was re-issued as ''Victory and Sorrow''


As sideman

With
Teddy Charles Teddy Charles (April 13, 1928 – April 16, 2012) was an American jazz musician and composer, whose instruments were the vibraphone, piano, and drums. Career Born Theodore Charles Cohen in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, United States, he ...
* '' Jazz in the Garden at the Museum of Modern Art'' (
Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...
, 1960) With
John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...
* ''
Africa/Brass ''Africa/Brass'' is the eighth studio album by jazz musician John Coltrane, released on September 1, 1961 on Impulse! Records. The sixth release for the fledgling label and Coltrane's first for Impulse!, it features Coltrane's working quartet au ...
'' (
Impulse! Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...
, 1961) With
Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gai ...
* ''
Far Cry ''Far Cry'' is an anthology franchise of first-person shooter games, all of which have been published by Ubisoft. The first game, '' Far Cry'', was developed by Crytek to premiere their CryEngine software, and released in March 2004. Subsequen ...
'' (
Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...
/ OJC, 1960) *'' At the Five Spot'' ( New Jazz/OJC, 1961) With Slide Hampton *'' Slide Hampton and His Horn of Plenty'' (Strand, 1959) With Bill Henderson *''Bill Henderson Sings'' (
Vee-Jay Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...
, 1959) With
Abbey Lincoln Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010), known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of deli ...
* '' Straight Ahead'' (Candid, 1961) With
Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...
* '' Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene'' (
EmArcy EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by the American Mercury Records. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company. During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Clifford Brown ...
, 1958) *'' Max Roach + 4 at Newport'' (EmArcy, 1958) * '' Deeds, Not Words'' (
Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...
, 1958) * ''
Award-Winning Drummer ''Award-Winning Drummer'' (also released as ''Max Roach'') is an album by American jazz drummer Max Roach featuring a session recorded in 1958 and released on the Time label.
'' (Time, 1958) * '' The Many Sides of Max'' ( Mercury, 1959) * ''
We Insist! ''We Insist!'' (subtitled ''Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite'') is a jazz album released on Candid Records in 1961. It contains a suite which composer and drummer Max Roach and lyricist Oscar Brown had begun to develop in 1959 with a view to its perf ...
'' (Candid, 1960) * '' Percussion Bitter Sweet'' (Impulse!, 1961) * '' Alone Together: The Best of the Mercury Years'' (
Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...
); Booker Little performs on three tracks recorded in 1958 and 1959 With
Frank Strozier Frank R. Strozier Jr. (born June 13, 1937) is a jazz alto saxophonist. Strozier was born in Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned to play piano. In 1954, he moved to Chicago, where he performed with Harold Mabern, George Coleman, and Booker Litt ...
*''
Fantastic Frank Strozier ''Fantastic Frank Strozier'' is the debut album by American saxophonist Frank Strozier, recorded in 1959 and 1960 for Vee-Jay Records. The personnel includes the rhythm section from part of Miles Davis's ''Kind of Blue'', recorded earlier in 195 ...
'' (Vee-Jay, 1960)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Little, Booker 1938 births 1961 deaths American jazz composers American male jazz composers American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters African-American jazz musicians Hard bop trumpeters Candid Records artists Avant-garde jazz trumpeters 20th-century American composers 20th-century trumpeters 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century jazz composers 20th-century African-American musicians