George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.

Biography

Tate was born in

Sherman, Texas Sherman is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas. The city's population in 2020 was 43,645. It is one of the two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan statistical area, and it is part of the Texoma region o ...

, United States, and first played the

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

. According to the website

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

, "Tate was performing in public as early as 1925 in a band called McCloud's Night Owls." Tate's 2001 ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' obituary stated that "he began his career in the late 1920s, playing around the Southwest with bands led by Terrence Holder, Andy Kirk and Nat Towles." Tate switched to

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

, making a name for himself in bands such as the one led by Andy Kirk. He joined

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

in 1939 and stayed with him until 1948. He had been selected by Basie after the death of

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 ...

, which Tate stated he had predicted in a dream. After his period with Basie ended, he worked with several other bands before he found success on his own, starting in 1953 in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

. His group worked at the Celebrity Club from 1953 to 1974. In the late 1970s, he co-led a band with

Paul Quinichette Paul Quinichette (May 17, 1916 – May 25, 1983) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He was known as the "Vice President" or "Vice Prez" for his emulation of the breathy style of Lester Young, whose nickname was "The President", or simply "P ...

and worked with

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

. In 1979, Tate's hometown invited him to play a concert at

Austin College Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Sherman, Texas.''Texas Jazz'' magazine, October 1979, Page 1. Accompanying Tate were

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson (trumpeter), Bernard A ...

, Claude Williams,

Buster Smith Henry Franklin "Buster" Smith (August 24, 1904 – August 10, 1991), also known as Professor Smith, was an American jazz alto saxophonist and mentor to Charlie Parker.Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/artic ...

and Paul Gunther. In 1980, he was injured by scalding water in a hotel shower, which kept him inactive for four months. He later suffered from a serious illness. The 1990s saw him slow down, but he remained active playing with

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

among others. In 1992, Tate took part in the documentary, ''Texas Tenor: The

Illinois Jacquet Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. Although he was a pioneer of t ...

Story''. In 1996, he recorded with reeds player James Carter on the younger man's second release for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

, ''

Conversin' with the Elders ''Conversin' with the Elders'' is the fourth album by saxophonist James Carter recorded in late 1995 and early 1996 and released on the Atlantic label.

'', along with trumpeters

Harry "Sweets" Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backi ...

and

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in t ...

, and saxophonists

Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A membe ...

and Larry Smith. Tate lived in New York until 2001 when he moved to

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, to be cared for by his daughter. He died in

Chandler, Arizona Chandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a suburb in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). It is bordered to the north and west by Tempe, to the north by Mesa, to the west by Phoenix, to the ...

, twelve days before his 88th birthday.

Discography

As leader

* ''Jumpin' on the West Coast'' (Blue Lion, 1947) * ''And His Celebrity Club Orchestra'' ( Black & Blue, 1976) – recorded in 1954, some titles issued on the

Baton Baton may refer to: Stick-like objects *Baton, a type of club *Baton (law enforcement) *Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts *Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people *Baton (conductin ...

label * ''

Swinging Like Tate ''Swinging Like Tate'' is an album by saxophonist Buddy Tate which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Felsted label.Felsted Felsted (sometimes spelt Felstead) is a village and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Bannister Green, Bartholomew Green, Causeway End, Coblers Green, Cock Green, Frenches Gre ...

, 1958) * ''The Madison Beat'' (

Harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

, 1959) * ''

Tate's Date ''Tate's Date'' is an album by saxophonist Buddy Tate which was recorded in 1959 and released on the Swingville label.Swingville, 1960) * ''

Tate-a-Tate ''Tate-a-Tate'' is an album by saxophonist Buddy Tate with trumpeter/flugelhornist Clark Terry. The album was recorded in 1960 and released on the Swingville label.Lord, T.Clark Terry Discography Retrieved June 30, 2017 Reception Scott Yanow o ...

'' (Swingville, 1960) with

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duke ...

* ''

Buck & Buddy ''Buck & Buddy'' is an album by trumpeter Buck Clayton and saxophonist Buddy Tate which was recorded in 1960 and released on the Prestige Records, Swingville label.Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...

* '' Groovin' with Buddy Tate'' (Swingville, 1961) * '' Buck & Buddy Blow the Blues'' (Swingville, 1961) with Buck Clayton * ''And His Celebrity Club Orchestra Vol. 2'' ( Black & Blue, 1968) * '' Unbroken'' ( MPS, 1970) * ''Broadway'' (Black & Blue, 1972) * ''

Buddy Tate and His Buddies ''Buddy Tate and His Buddies'' is an album by saxophonist Buddy Tate which was recorded in New York City in 1973 and released on the Chiaroscuro label.Chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...

, 1973) * ''The Texas Twister'' (Master Jazz Recordings, 1975) * ''Jive at Five'' (Storyville, 1975) * ''Our Bag'' (Riff, 1975) * ''Kansas City Joys'' (

Sonet Synchronous optical networking (SONET) and synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) are standardized protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams synchronously over optical fiber using lasers or highly coherent light from light-emitting diode ...

, 1976) * ''Tate A Tete At La Fontaine'' - Buddy Tate Quartet & Quintet Featuring

Tete Montoliu Vicenç Montoliu i Massana, better known as Tete Montoliu (28 March 1933 – 24 August 1997) was a Spanish jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. Born blind, he learnt braille music at age seven. His styles varied from hard bop, through afro-Cuban, ...

At La Fontaine, September 24 1975, Copenhagen ( Storyville, 1976) * '' Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand'' (Chiaroscuro, 1977) with

Dollar Brand Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...

* ''

Live at Sandy's ''Live at Sandy's'' is a live album by saxophonist Buddy Tate which was recorded at Sandy's Jazz Revival in 1978 and released on the Muse Records, Muse label in 1980.

'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

, 1978) * ''

Hard Blowin' ''Hard Blowin' '', subtitled ''Live at Sandy's'', is a live album by saxophonist Buddy Tate which was recorded at Sandy's Jazz Revival in 1978 and released on the Muse label in 1984.Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

, 1981) * ''The Ballad Artistry'' ( Sackville, 1981) * ''

Just Jazz ''Just Jazz'', is an album by saxophonist Buddy Tate and trombonist Al Grey, which was recorded in 1984 and released by the Uptown label. The album was reissued on CD with two alternate takes by Reservoir in 1989.Uptown Records Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop. During the 1990s, aided by its A&R worker Sean ...

, 1984) with

Al Grey Al Grey (June 6, 1925 – March 24, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called ''Plunger Techniques''. Care ...

* ''

Just Friends ''Just Friends'' is a 2005 American Christmas comedy film directed by Roger Kumble, written by Adam 'Tex' Davis and starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein and Christopher Marquette. The plot focuses on a formerly obese high ...

'' (Muse, 1990

992 Year 992 ( CMXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Worldwide * Winter – A superflare from the sun causes an Aurora Borealis, with visibility as fa ...

with Nat Simkins and

Houston Person Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the ...

As sideman

With

Ray Bryant Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had tau ...

*''

Madison Time ''Madison Time'' is an album recorded by American jazz pianist Ray Bryant recorded in 1959 and 1960 for the Columbia label. The album was released following the success of the Madison dance craze single "The Madison Time" which reached number 30 ...

'' ( Columbia, 1960) *''

Dancing the Big Twist ''Dancing the Big Twist'' is an album by pianist Ray Bryant released on Columbia Records in 1961 to capitalise on the Twist dance craze.

'' (Columbia, 1961) With James Carter *''

Conversin' with the Elders ''Conversin' with the Elders'' is the fourth album by saxophonist James Carter recorded in late 1995 and early 1996 and released on the Atlantic label.

'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, 1996) With

Milt Buckner Milton Brent Buckner (July 10, 1915 – July 27, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and organist, who in the early 1950s popularized the Hammond organ.Arwulf ArwulfMilt Buckner biography All Music. He pioneered the parallel chords styleFeathe ...

*''Midnight Slows, Volume 1'' (Black & Blue, 1973) *''Midnight Slows, Volume 4'' (Black & Blue, 1974) *''Midnight Slows, Volume 5'' (Black & Blue, 1974) With

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...

*''

Buck Meets Ruby ''Buck Meets Ruby'' is an album by trumpeters Buck Clayton and Ruby Braff which was recorded in 1954 and released on the Vanguard Records, Vanguard label originally as a four track 10-inch LP.Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

, 1954) with

Ruby Braff Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong". Braff ...

*''

Jumpin' at the Woodside "Jumpin' at the Woodside" is a song first recorded in 1938 by the Count Basie Orchestra, and considered one of the band's signature tunes. When first released it reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' charts and remained on them for four weeks. ...

'' (Columbia, 1955) *''

All the Cats Join In ''All the Cats Join In'' is a song written by Ray Gilbert, Eddie Sauter and Alec Wilder, and first recorded by Benny Goodman. It later was a track on an LP with the same title by trumpeter Buck Clayton. Benny Goodman Curiously, Goodman record ...

'' (Columbia 1956) *''

Songs for Swingers ''Songs for Swingers'' is an album by trumpeter Buck Clayton which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Columbia label.Copenhagen Concert ''Copenhagen Concert'' is a live album by American trumpeter Buck Clayton recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1959 and released on the SteepleChase label as a double LP in 1979. A similarly titled Copenhagen Concert was recorded by Dizzy Gillespie ...

'' (

SteepleChase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

, 1959

979 Year 979 ( CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary ...

*''

One for Buck ''One for Buck'' is an album by trumpeter Buck Clayton which was recorded in 1961 and released on the British Columbia Graphophone Company, Columbia label.

'' (Columbia, 1961) With

Arnett Cobb Arnett Cleophus Cobb (August 10, 1918 – March 24, 1989)
accessed July 2010. was an American tenor saxophonist, somet ...

*''

Live at Sandy's! ''Live at Sandy's!'' is a live album by saxophonist Arnett Cobb which was recorded at Sandy's Jazz Revival in 1978 and released on the Muse Records, Muse label in 1980.Wild Bill Davis Wild Bill Davis (November 24, 1918 – August 17, 1995) was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. He is best known for his pioneering jazz electric organ recordings and for his tenure with t ...

*''Midnight Slows, Volume 2'' (Black & Blue, 1973) With

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...

*''

Very Saxy ''Very Saxy'' is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis with Buddy Tate, Coleman Hawkins and Arnett Cobb recorded in 1959 for the Prestige label.Payne, DShirley Scott discography accessed July 6, 2012. Reception ''The Penguin Guide to Ja ...

'' (Prestige, 1959) With

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from t ...

*'' Rockin' Chair'' (Clef, 1951) With

Claude Hopkins Claude Driskett Hopkins (August 24, 1903 – February 19, 1984) was an American jazz stride pianist and bandleader. Biography Claude Hopkins was born in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. Historians differ in respect of the actual date of his ...

*'' Yes Indeed!'' (Swingville, 1960) with

Emmett Berry Emmett Berry (July 23, 1915 – June 22, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter. Berry was born in Macon, Georgia, United States. He began to study classical trumpet in Georgia, but by 18 had switched to jazz and moved to New York City. He bec ...

*''

Let's Jam ''Let's Jam'' is an album by pianist Claude Hopkins with saxophonist Buddy Tate and trumpeter Joe Thomas recorded in 1961 and originally released by the Swingville label.Joe Thomas With

*''

The Last of the Blue Devils ''The Last of the Blue Devils'', subtitled ''The Kansas City Jazz Story'', is a 1979 film documentary with notable figures from the history of Kansas City jazz starring Count Basie and Big Joe Turner. The film was produced and directed by Bruce ...

'' (Atlantic, 1978) With

Jimmy Rushing James Andrew Rushing (August 26, 1901 – June 8, 1972) was an American singer and pianist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948. Rushing was known as " Mr. Five by ...

*'' Livin' the Blues'' (BluesWay, 1968) With

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 rep ...

*''

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 Ellington ...

'' (Swingville, 1961) as part of the Prestige Swing Festival With

Rex Stewart Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Career As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart drop ...

*''

Henderson Homecoming ''Henderson Homecoming'' is a live album performed by cornetist Rex Stewart with the Fletcher Henderson Alumni that was recorded at the Great South Bay Jazz Festival in 1958 and released on the United Artists label.Edwards, D., Eyries, P. & Calla ...

'' (

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 ...

, 1959) With

Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed Cleanhead after an incident in which his hair was ...

*''

Live at Sandy's ''Live at Sandy's'' is a live album by saxophonist Buddy Tate which was recorded at Sandy's Jazz Revival in 1978 and released on the Muse Records, Muse label in 1980.

'' (Muse, 1978

981 Year 981 ( CMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events Births * Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi, Arab statesman (d. 1027) * Giovanni Orseolo, Venetian ...

*''

Hold It Right There! ''Hold It Right There!'' is a live album by saxophonist/vocalist Eddie "Cleanhed" Vinson which was recorded at Sandy's Jazz Revival in 1978 and released on the Muse label in 1984.984 Year 984 ( CMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – German boy-king Otto III (4-years old) is seized by the deposed Henry II ( ...

With

Dicky Wells William Wells (June 10, 1907 – November 12, 1985), known professionally as Dicky Wells (sometimes Dickie Wells), was an American jazz trombonist. Career Dickie Wells is believed to have been born on June 10, 1907 in Centerville, Tennessee, Uni ...

*''

Bones for the King ''Bones for the King'' is an album by trombonist Dicky Wells which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Felsted label.please don't change this reference as this is the source's preferred means of reference -->

Buddy Tate Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (1995)

National African American Alumni Association, by Don Eldredge (''Sherman Herald-Democrat'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Tate, Buddy 1913 births 2001 deaths American jazz clarinetists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists Bebop clarinetists Bebop saxophonists Big band saxophonists Count Basie Orchestra members Mainstream jazz clarinetists Mainstream jazz saxophonists People from Chandler, Arizona People from Sherman, Texas Swing clarinetists Swing saxophonists Candid Records artists 20th-century saxophonists American male jazz musicians Saints & Sinners (jazz band) members Statesmen of Jazz members Sackville Records artists Reservoir Records artists 20th-century American male musicians Chiaroscuro Records artists Black & Blue Records artists Sonet Records artists Muse Records artists Concord Records artists Prestige Records artists MPS Records artists