Ulysses "Buddy" Banks (October 3, 1909 – September 7, 1991) 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 ...

tenor saxophonist, pianist, and bandleader.

Career

Banks played in

Charlie Echols Charlie Echols was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He led several California-based dance bands in the 1930s that featured a large number of important early jazz and swing sidemen. Almost nothing is known of Echols's own life, includin ...

's band in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

from 1933 to 1937 and remained in the group after it was taken over by

Claude Kennedy Claude may refer to: __NOTOC__ People and fictional characters * Claude (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Claude (surname), a list of people * Claude Lorrain (c. 1600–1682), French landscape painter, draughtsman and etch ...

, and then by Emerson Scott, after Kennedy's death. The group then scored a gig at the Paradise Cafe, and

Cee Pee Johnson Cee Pee Johnson (born Clifton Byron Johnson,"Cee Pee's Wife Faints ...

became its leader; Banks played in Johnson's ensemble until 1945. Following this Banks led his own group; this band featured tenor sax and trombone as its most prominent instruments, the trombone position being held by

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, cousin of

Eddie Durham Edward Durham (August 19, 1906 – March 6, 1987) was an American jazz guitarist, trombonist, composer, and arranger. He was one of the pioneers of the electric guitar in jazz. The orchestras of Bennie Moten, Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, ...

and

Herschel Evans Herschel "Tex" Evans (9 March 1909 – 9 February 1939) was an American tenor saxophonist who was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. He also worked with Lionel Hampton and Buck Clayton. He is also known for starting his cousin Joe McQueen's ...

, and then by Wesley Huff. Guitarist Wesley Pile and drummer Monk McFay also recorded as members of this group. The ensemble played throughout southern California and recorded until 1949. Banks led a new group in 1950, but disbanded it quickly. Banks and his Orchestra performed at the fifth

Cavalcade of Jazz The Cavalcade of Jazz was the first large outdoor jazz entertainment event of its kind produced by an African American, Leon Hefflin, Sr. The event was held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, Lane Field in San Diego and the last one at the Shrine Aud ...

held at

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...

in Los Angeles which was produced by

Leon Hefflin, Sr. Leon Norman Hefflin, Sr. (August 17, 1898 – November 20, 1975) was a pioneering African-American producer, director, business owner, furniture manufacturer, and entrepreneur. After losing his large and successful manufacturing business in the ...

on July 10, 1949.“Star Studded Show At Wrigley Field Sunday, July 10th” Article The California Eagle June 30, 1949. In 1950, he began playing piano, and though he accompanied

Fluffy Hunter Fluffy may refer to: Characters * Fluffy (''Harry Potter''), a giant three-headed dog in the novel ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' * Fluffy, a beast in a crate that features in a segment of the 1982 film, ''Creepshow'' * Fluffy, a fict ...

on tenor saxophone in 1953, he spent most of the rest of his life on piano, including in a piano-bass duo with Al Morgan (1953–1976). He played solo piano into the 1980s.

References

;Footnotes ;General references *Howard Rye, "Buddy Banks (i)". '' Grove Jazz'' online. {{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Buddy American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz bandleaders American jazz pianists American male pianists Specialty Records artists Sterling Records (US) artists Musicians from Dallas 1909 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Texas 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians