Jerry_Jumonville_playing_saxophone_at_New_Year_Day_party_New_Orleans_2008

Jerome Noel Jumonville (December 5, 1941 – December 7, 2019), better known as Jerry Jumonville, 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 ...

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

, and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

saxophonist, arranger, and composer. He began playing the saxophone as teenager. Jumonville was a musician for albums and television series.

Personal life and early career

Jumonville was born on December 5, 1941, as Jerome Noel Jumonville, and he grew up in the Carrollton section of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. His father was a hobby shop owner. During his summer vacation, before attending his first year of high school, his mother borrowed a saxophone from a friend for Jumonville to play. He played his first alto with that saxophone. As a teenager during the late 1950s, Jumonville was a fan of New Orleans musicians including

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

and

Smiley Lewis A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...

. He was interested in playing the saxophone due to how prominent it was on many rhythm and blues and bebop jazz records during the 1950s. When he was in high school, Jumonville started a R&B band called the Matadors. Jumonville backed

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 James Brown while they played in New Orleans.

Professional career

Jumonville started his music career by emulating jazz musician

David "Fathead" Newman David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s an ...

. Jumonville gave credit to Ray Charles for telling him to stop trying to copy Newman, which Jumonville followed. While he was a session musician, Jumonville played the saxophone for Rod Stewart's song " Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)". He played the saxophone for the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

to the film '' The Rose'', for the album ''

Toulouse Street ''Toulouse Street'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Doobie Brothers. It was released on July 1, 1972, by Warner Bros. Records. It was the band's first album with bassist Tiran Porter and second with drummer Michael Hoss ...

'' by

The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...

, and various other tracks by significant artists. His music was influenced by tenor players

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 ...

and Gene Ammons, as well as swing players

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 ...

and

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 ...

. When the 1970s television series ''

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'' and '' Laverne & Shirley'' featured a band, Jumonville was usually part of it. Jumonville was based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

for much of the 1960s through the 1980s. His album ''Jump City'' was released in 1986. Jumonville's 2004 recordings for the 2008 album ''You Are My Dream'' were not destroyed during Hurricane Katrina due to the ADAT tapes being up high in a recording studio. After returning to New Orleans, he frequently played in local clubs.

Death

Jumonville died on December 7, 2019, in New Orleans. A celebration of his life was held at Buffa's Bar and Restaurant on December 21, 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jumonville, Jerry 1941 births 2019 deaths American session musicians American music arrangers Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans Rock and roll musicians Songwriters from Louisiana American male jazz musicians American male saxophonists Jazz musicians from New Orleans American male songwriters 20th-century American saxophonists