Harold Vick (April 3, 1936 – November 13, 1987) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist.

Biography

Harold Vick was born on April 3, 1936 in

Rocky Mount, North Carolina Rocky Mount is a city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The city's population was 54,341 as of the 2020 census, making it the 20th-most populous city in North Carolina at the time. The city is 45 mi (7 ...

. At the age of 13 he was given a clarinet by his uncle,

Prince Robinson Prince Robinson (June 7, 1902 – July 23, 1960) was an American jazz reed player. He was known for soloing on both tenor saxophone and clarinet in the same recording. Early life Robinson was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. He learned to play clari ...

,Barry Kernfeld (ed.)(2002): ''The New Grove dictionary of Jazz''. London: Macmillan Publishers Limited. 2nd ed, Vol 3, p. 843. a clarinet and tenor saxophone player who had been a member of

McKinney's Cotton Pickers McKinney's Cotton Pickers were an American jazz band, founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1926, and led by William McKinney, who expanded his Synco Septet to ten players. Cuba Austin took over for McKinney on drums, with the latter bec ...

.Sarah Bryan, Beverly Patterson (2013). ''African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina''. Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Press Books, p. 112. Three years later he took up the tenor saxophone, and soon began playing in R&B bands. He continued to perform, still largely with R&B bands, while studying psychology at

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

Recordings as leader

'' Steppin' Out!'', Vick's first album as leader, was recorded for

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

in 1963. After a 1965 performance at Carnegie Hall with

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop ...

, Vick secured a contract for further albums as leader, and from 1966 to 1974 he had further recording sessions for the

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

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 ...

, and Strata-East labels.

Work as sideman

Vick worked as a sideman with

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz ...

from 1960 to 1964, and also with other organists such as

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, United States, McGriff started playing pi ...

Big John Patton John Patton (July 12, 1935 – March 19, 2002) was an American jazz, blues and R&B pianist and organist often known by his nickname, Big John Patton. Patton was one of the most in-demand organists during the golden era of the Hammond B-3 orga ...

, and Larry Young. For the rest of the 1960s he played on and off with Walter Bishop, Jr., and also worked with

Philly Joe Jones Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Early career As a child, Jones appeared as a featured tap dancer on ''The Kiddie Show'' on the Philadelphia radio station WIP. He wa ...

Howard McGhee Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987) was one of the first American bebop jazz trumpeters, with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingering and high notes. He had an influence on younger beb ...

, Donald Byrd and

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, and appeared with

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

at the 1968 Newport Jazz Festival. Vick then worked for around 5 years with soul artists, from 1969 to 1970 with

King Curtis Curtis Ousley (born Curtis Montgomery; February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musician ...

, and from 1970 to 1974 with

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in '' Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Wit ...

. He played in

Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, John Abercrombie ...

's jazz-rock band

Compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by decomposing plant, food waste, recycling organic materials and manure. The resulting ...

from 1971 to 1973, recording with them in 1972. After a heart attack in the mid 1970s, Vick largely returned to soul jazz, working with Shirley Scott from 1974 to 1976 and with Jimmy McGriff from 1980 to 1981. At the same time he continued to work as a freelance jazz musician and session musician. As late as 1987 he performed on two

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

tribute albums by

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 ...

. He also played with

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was the younger brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, whom he supported and played with for many years. Adderley's composition ...

Mercer Ellington Mercer Kennedy Ellington (March 11, 1919 – February 8, 1996) was an American musician, composer, and arranger. His father was Duke Ellington, whose band Mercer led for 20 years after his father's death. Biography Early life and education Ellin ...

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and " The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine Grammy Award ...

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sc ...

, and

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

Film and theatre

During the 1960s Vick worked as a member of the house band at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a ...

, and in 1969 he toured Europe as a musician with the

Negro Ensemble Company The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) is a New York City-based theater company and workshop established in 1967 by playwright Douglas Turner Ward, producer-actor Robert Hooks, and theater manager Gerald S. Krone, with funding from the Ford Foundation ...

. He also played for a number of stage productions during the 1980s. He appeared in the films ''

Stardust Memories ''Stardust Memories'' is a 1980 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper and Marie-Christine Barrault. Sharon Stone has a brief role, in her film debut. The film is ab ...

'' (1981) and '' The Cotton Club'' (1984), in which he played a musician. He was also cast for the

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

film ''

School Daze ''School Daze'' is a 1988 American musical comedy-drama film, written and directed by Spike Lee, and starring Laurence Fishburne (credited as Larry Fishburne), Giancarlo Esposito, and Tisha Campbell. Based in part on Spike Lee's experience ...

'' (1988), and undertook work for the soundtracks for a number of other films.

Death

Vick died at his Manhattan home of a heart attack on November 13, 1987. He was memorialised by the tune "Did You See Harold Vick?", which

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 ...

wrote and featured on his album '' This Is What I Do'' (2000).Graybow, Steve (2000)
Jazz Blue Notes
''Billboard'' November 11, 2000, p. 43

Discography

As leader

*1963: '' Steppin' Out!'' (

) *1966: '' The Caribbean Suite'' (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

) *1966: ''

Straight Up Straight up is a bartending term referring to a chilled drink served in a stemmed glass without ice. Straight Up may also refer to: * ''Straight Up'' (book), by author, blogger, physicist and climate expert Joseph J. Romm * ''Straight Up'' (Ha ...

'' (RCA Victor) *1967: '' Commitment'' (

), released 1974 *1967: '' Watch What Happens'' (RCA Victor) *1973: '' The Power of Feeling'' ( Encounter Records, released under the name "Sir Edward") *1974: '' Don't Look Back'' ( Strata-East) *1977: '' After the Dance'' (

Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

)

As sideman

With

Walter Bishop Jr. Walter Bishop Jr. (October 4, 1927 – January 24, 1998) was an American jazz pianist. Early life Bishop was born in New York City on October 4, 1927.Greene, Philip; Kernfeld, Barr"Bishop, Walter Jr." ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2nd ed ...

*'' Coral Keys'' (Black Jazz, 1971) With

*''

'' (Columbia, 1972) *''Life Is Round'' (Columbia, 1973) With

Joe Chambers Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

*''

The Almoravid ''The Almoravid'' is the debut album led by drummer Joe Chambers recorded in 1971 and 1973 and released on the Muse label.Grant Green Grant Green (June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Recording prolifically for Blue Note Records as both leader and sideman, Green performed in the hard bop, soul jazz, bebop, and Latin-tinged idioms ...

*'' His Majesty King Funk'' (Verve, 1965) *''

The Final Comedown ''The Final Comedown'' is a 1972 blaxploitation drama film written, produced and directed by Oscar Williams and starring Billy Dee Williams and D'Urville Martin. The film is an examination of racism in the United States and depicts a shootout be ...

'' (Blue Note, 1971) With

Richard "Groove" Holmes Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 – June 29, 1991) was an American jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genre. He is best known for his 1965 recording of " Misty". Career Holmes's first album, on Pacific ...

*''

Soul Mist! ''Soul Mist!'' is an album by jazz organist Richard "Groove" Holmes which was recorded in 1966 but not released on the Prestige label until 1970.el. 1970 With Sam Jones *'' Something New'' (Interplay, 1979) With

Mike Longo Michael Josef Longo (March 19, 1937 – March 22, 2020) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and author. Early life Longo was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to parents who had a musical background. His father played bass, his mother played organ at c ...

*''

Talk with the Spirits ''Talk with the Spirits'' is an album by pianist/composer Mike Longo recorded in 1976 and released by the Pablo label.

'' (Pablo, 1976) With

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (born September 23, 1935) is an American jazz pianist and vocalist.Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler (2007), ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 448. Oxford University Press. Early life Les McCann was born in ...

*'' Another Beginning'' (Atlantic, 1974) With

*''

Goodnight, It's Time to Go ''Goodnight, It's Time to Go'' is the fourth album by organist Jack McDuff recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label.On With It!'' (Prestige, 1961

971 Year 971 ( CMLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Dorostolon: A Byzantine expeditionary army (possibly 30–40,000 men ...

*''

Brother Jack Meets the Boss ''Brother Jack Meets the Boss'' is an album by the organist Jack McDuff and the saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1962 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1962) - with

*''

Soul Summit Vol. 2 ''Soul Summit Vol 2'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons with vocalist Etta Jones and organist Jack McDuff recorded in 1961 and 1962 and released on the Prestige label.Somethin' Slick! ''Somethin' Slick! is an album by organist Jack McDuff recorded in 1963 and released on the Prestige Records, Prestige label.Crash! ''Crash!'' is a 1977 film directed by Charles Band. It starred José Ferrer, Sue Lyon, John Ericson, Leslie Parrish, John Carradine and Reggie Nalder. Synopsis Jealous invalid husband (Ferrer) tries to kill sexy blond wife (Lyon), who uses occ ...

'' (Prestige, 1963) - with

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

*'' Brother Jack at the Jazz Workshop Live!'' (Prestige, 1963) *''

Soul Circle ''Soul Circle'' is an album by organist Jack McDuff recorded between 1964 and 1966 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1964-66 el. 1968 *'' Steppin' Out'' (Prestige, 1961-66 el. 1969 *'' The Fourth Dimension'' (Cadet, 1974) *''Live It Up'' (Sugar Hill, 1984) With

* ''

City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and ...

'' (JAM, 1981) *''

Movin' Upside the Blues ''Movin' Upside the Blues'' is an album by organist Jimmy McGriff recorded in 1981 (with one track from late 1980) and released on the Jazz America Marketing (JAM) label.

'' (JAM, 1982) With

Bob Moses Robert Moses (1888–1981) was an American city planner. Robert Moses may also refer to: * Bob Moses (activist) (1935–2021), American educator and civil rights activist * Bob Moses, American football player in the 1962 Cotton Bowl Classic * Bob M ...

*''Home in Motion'' (Ra-Kalam, 2012) With Jimmy Owens *''

Headin' Home ''Headin' Home'' is a 1920 American silent biopic sports film directed by Lawrence C. Windom. It attempts to create a mythology surrounding the life of baseball player Babe Ruth. The screenplay was written by Arthur "Bugs" Baer from a story b ...

'' (A&M/Horizon, 1978) With John Patton *''

Along Came John ''Along Came John'' is the debut album by American organist John Patton (musician), John Patton, recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note Records, Blue Note label.

'' (Blue Note, 1963) *'' Oh Baby!'' (Blue Note, 1965) With

Duke Pearson Columbus Calvin "Duke" Pearson Jr. (August 17, 1932 – August 4, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer. ''Allmusic'' describes him as having a "big part in shaping the Blue Note label's hard bop direction in the 1960s as a record produ ...

*''

Prairie Dog Prairie dogs (genus ''Cynomys'') are herbivorous burrowing ground squirrels native to the grasslands of North America. Within the genus are five species: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah, and Mexican prairie dogs. In Mexico, p ...

'' (Atlantic, 1966) With

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 ...

*'' Houston Express'' (Prestige, 1971) With Bu Pleasant *''Ms. Bu'' (Muse, 1973) With

Bernard Purdie Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and funk musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie ...

*'' Soul Is... Pretty Purdie'' (Flying Dutchman, 1972) With

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

*''

Live at the East ''Live at the East'' is a live album by American saxophonist and composer Pharoah Sanders released on the Impulse! Records, Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1972) With Shirley Scott *''

One for Me ''One for Me'' is an album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1974 and released on the Strata-East Records, Strata-East label.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed July 4, 2012 Reception The Allmusic site awarded the album 3 stars stating ...

'' (Strata-East, 1974) With

*'' Total Response'' (Blue Note, 1971) *''

All All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All al ...

'' (Blue Note, 1972) *''

The United States of Mind ''The United States of Mind'' is a compilation album by jazz pianist Horace Silver, released on the Blue Note label in 2004 compiling the three separate 'Phases' previously released as '' That Healin' Feelin (1970), ''Total Response'' (1971) ...

'' (Blue Note, 2004; compilation of both above albums) With Charles Tolliver *''

Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Impac ...

'' (Strata-East, 1975) With

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA ...

*''

Cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

'' (Blue Note, tracks with Vick recorded 1969 el. 1977 With Johnny Hammond *''

Wild Horses Rock Steady ''Wild Horses Rock Steady'' is an album by jazz organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Johnny Hammond recorded for the Kudu label (a subsidiary of CTI Records) in 1971.

'' (Kudu, 1971) *''Gambler's Life'' (Salvation, 1974) With

Larry Willis Lawrence Elliott Willis (December 20, 1942 – September 29, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He performed in a wide range of styles, including jazz fusion, Afro-Cuban jazz, bebop, and avant-garde jazz, avant-garde. Willis was b ...

*''

Inner Crisis ''Inner Crisis'' is an album by American jazz pianist Larry Willis recorded in 1973 and released on the Groove Merchant label.American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz flautists Hard bop saxophonists Soul-jazz saxophonists Hard bop flautists Soul-jazz flautists 1936 births 1987 deaths People from Rocky Mount, North Carolina Strata-East Records artists Blue Note Records artists Muse Records artists 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from North Carolina 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Compost (band) members 20th-century flautists