Paul Gonsalves ( – ) 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 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 t ...

best known for his association with

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

. At the 1956

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

, Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's "

Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" is a jazz composition written in 1937 by Duke Ellington and recorded for the first time on May 15, 1937 by the Duke Ellington Orchestra with Wallace Jones, Cootie Williams (trumpet), Rex Stewart (cornet), Barney ...

," a performance credited with revitalizing Ellington's waning career in the 1950s.

Biography

Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, to

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

an parents, Gonsalves' first instrument was the guitar, and as a child he was regularly asked to play Cape Verdean folk songs for his family. He grew up in

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...

, and played as a member of the

Sabby Lewis William Sebastian "Sabby" Lewis (November 1, 1914 in Middleburg, North Carolina – July 9, 1994) was an American jazz pianist, band leader, and arranger. Biography Lewis was born in Middleburg, North Carolina, United States, but was raised in Phi ...

Orchestra. His first professional engagement in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

was with the same group on

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 ...

, in which he played before and after his military service during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He also played with fellow Cape Verdean Americans in

Phil Edmund Felix Edmond Barboza (November 20, 1914 – April 9, 1993) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He was known professionally as Phil Edmund, including in his jazz and big band music, and as Phil Barboza in his Latin American music. Early life ...

's band in the 1940s. Before joining Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1950, he also played in big bands led by

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 ...

(1947–1949) and Dizzy Gillespie (1949–1950). At the 1956

, Gonsalves' solo in Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" went through 27 choruses; the publicity from this performance is credited with reviving Ellington's career. The performance is captured on the album ''

Ellington at Newport ''Ellington at Newport'' is a 1956 live jazz album by Duke Ellington and his band of their 1956 concert at the Newport Jazz Festival, a concert which revitalized Ellington's flagging career. Jazz promoter George Wein describes the 1956 concert as ...

''. Gonsalves was a featured soloist in numerous Ellingtonian settings. He received the nickname "The Strolling Violins" from Ellington for playing solos while walking through the crowd. Gonsalves died in London ten days before Duke Ellington's death, after a lifetime of addiction to alcohol and narcotics.

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 ...

refused to tell Duke of the passing of Gonsalves, fearing the shock might further accelerate his father's decline. Ellington and Gonsalves, along with trombonist

Tyree Glenn Tyree Glenn, born William Tyree Glenn (November 23, 1912, Corsicana, Texas, United States, – May 18, 1974, Englewood, New Jersey), was an American trombone and vibraphone player. Biography Tyree played trombone and vibraphone with local Texas ...

, lay side by side in the same New York funeral home for a period of time.Hasse, John Edwar
''Beyond The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington'', Da Capo Press, p. 385.
Google Books. Gonsalves is buried at the

Long Island National Cemetery Long Island National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Suffolk County, New York. It is surrounded by a group of other separate cemeteries and memorial parks situated along Wellwood Avenue (County Road 3) – these include Pi ...

Farmingdale, New York Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York. The population was 8,189 as of the 2010 Census. The Lenox Hills neighborhood is adjacent to Bethpage State Park and the rest of the ...

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* '' Cookin' '' (1957, Argo) * '' Diminuendo, Crescendo and Blues'' (1958, RCA Victor) * '' Ellingtonia Moods and Blues'' (1960, RCA Victor) * '' Gettin' Together!'' (1961, Jazzland) * '' Tenor Stuff'' (1961, Columbia) – with Harold Ashby * '' Tell It the Way It Is!'' (1963,

Impulse Impulse or Impulsive may refer to: Science * Impulse (physics), in mechanics, the change of momentum of an object; the integral of a force with respect to time * Impulse noise (disambiguation) * Specific impulse, the change in momentum per uni ...

) * '' Cleopatra – Feelin' Jazzy'' (1963, Impulse) * ''

Salt and Pepper Salt and pepper is the common name for edible salt and ground black pepper, which are ubiquitously paired on Western dining tables as to allow for the additional seasoning of food after its preparation. During food preparation or cooking, they ...

'' (1963, Impulse) – with Sonny Stitt * '' Rare Paul Gonsalves Sextet in Europe'' (1963, Jazz Connoisseur) * '' Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick'' (1964,

Vocalion Vocalion Records is an American record company and label. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pianos and organs, as Aeolian-Vocalion; the company also sold phonographs under the Vocalion name. "Aeolian" was ...

) * ''Just Friends'' (1964, Columbia EMI) – with

Tubby Hayes Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30 January 1935 – 8 June 1973) was an English jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his tenor saxophone playing in groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar. Early life ...

* ''Change of Setting'' (1965,

World Record Club The World Record Club Ltd. was the name of a company in the United Kingdom which issued long-playing records and reel-to-reel tapes, mainly of classical music and jazz, through a membership mail-order system during the 1950s and 1960s. In add ...

) – with Tubby Hayes * ''Jazz Till Midnight'' (1967, Storyville) * ''Love Calls'' (1967, RCA) – with

Eddie Lockjaw Davis Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology * Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle *Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...

* ''

Encuentro Encuentro ( en, "Encounter") is an Argentine television channel owned and operated by the Argentine Ministry of Education. It began broadcasting in 2007 through cable television operators in the country. It airs as an independent channel and al ...

'' (1968,

Fresh Sound Fresh Sound, or Fresh Sound New Talent, is a jazz record label established in Barcelona, Spain, by Jordi Pujol. The label was initially founded as a reissue label. The catalog includes work by musicians both major and minor that was recorded be ...

) * ''With the Swingers and the Four Bones'' (1969, Riviera) * ''

Humming Bird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

'' (1970, Deram) * ''Just a-Sittin' and a-Rockin' '' (1970,

Black Lion Black Lion, Black Lions, or Blacklions may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black Lion, Hammersmith, a London pub * Black Lion, Kilburn, a London pub * Black Lion Records, a British jazz record company * Black Lions Films, associated wit ...

) * ''Paul Gonsalves and His All Stars'' (1970, Riviera) * ''Paul Gonsalves Meets Earl Hines'' (1970, Black Lion) * ''Mexican Bandit Meets Pittsburgh Pirate'' (1973,

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

) * ''Paul Gonsalves Paul Quinichette'' (1974) * ''Sitting In'' (Paul Gonsalves and Clyde Fats Wright) (2014, Silk City)

As sideman

With Duke Ellington *''

'' (Columbia, 1956) *''

All Star Road Band ''All Star Road Band'' is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at Sunset Ballroom in Carrolltown, Pennsylvania for radio broadcast and first released as a double LP on Bob Thiele's Doctor Jazz label in ...

'' (Doctor Jazz, 1957

983 Year 983 ( CMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Diet of Verona: Emperor Otto II (the Red) declares war against the Byza ...

*''

All Star Road Band Volume 2 ''All Star Road Band Volume 2'' is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at the Holiday Ballroom in Chicago for radio broadcast and first released as a double LP on Bob Thiele's Doctor Jazz label in 1 ...

'' (Doctor Jazz, 1964

985 Year 985 ( CMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Henry II (the Wrangler) is restored as duke of Bavaria by Empress Theoph ...

*''

Hot Summer Dance ''Hot Summer Dance'' is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at Mather Air Force Base in California and first released as a CD on Bob Thiele's Red Baron label in 1983.

'' (Red Baron, 1960 991 *Live At The Crystal Gardens 1952 *Harlem 1964 *Ella and Duke at the Côte d’Azur 1966 *The Far East Suite 1966 *Liederhalle Stuttgart 1967 *Live At The Opernhaus Cologne 1969 *70th Birthday Concert 1969 * Featuring Paul Gonsalves (Fantasy, 1985) 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 ...

*'' Love Calls'' (RCA Victor, 1968) With

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...

*''

Ellingtonia '56 ''Ellingtonia '56'' is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges featuring performances with members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded in 1956 and released on the Norgran label.The Big Sound'' (Verve, 1957) *''

Triple Play In baseball, a triple play (denoted as TP in baseball statistics) is the act of making three outs during the same play. There have only been 733 triple plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1876, an average of just over five per season. Th ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1967) With

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

*''

The Wonderful World of Jazz ''The Wonderful World of Jazz'' is an album by pianist and composer John Lewis recorded for the Atlantic label in 1960.

'' (Atlantic, 1960) With

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 ...

*''

Taylor Made Jazz ''Taylor Made Jazz'' is an album by American jazz pianist Billy Taylor. It was recorded in Chicago on November 17, 1957 and released by the Argo label. The album includes members of Duke Ellington's orchestra performing arrangements by Johnny Pa ...

'' (Argo, 1959) 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 ...

*'' Duke with a Difference'' (Riverside, 1957) *'' Diminuendo, Crescendo And Blues'' (RCA Victor, 1958) With

Jimmy Woode James Bryant Woode (September 23, 1926 – April 23, 2005) was an American jazz bassist. He played and/or recorded in bands with Flip Phillips, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Nat Pierce, Sidney ...

*'' The Colorful Strings of Jimmy Woode'' (Argo, 1957) ;With

Joya Sherrill Joya Sherrill (August 20, 1924 – June 28, 2010) was an American jazz vocalist and children's television show host. Sherrill was born in Bayonne, New Jersey on August 20, 1924. Her first ambition was to become a writer: she was the editor of her ...

*''

Joya Sherrill Sings Duke ''Joya Sherrill Sings Duke'' is a 1965 album by Joya Sherrill recorded in tribute to the bandleader and composer Duke Ellington. Several members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra accompany Sherrill on the album. Reception The album was reviewed by ...

'' (20th Century Fox, 1965)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gonsalves, Paul 1920 births 1974 deaths Swing saxophonists Bebop saxophonists Mainstream jazz saxophonists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists Duke Ellington Orchestra members Count Basie Orchestra members American musicians of Cape Verdean descent Musicians from Brockton, Massachusetts Impulse! Records artists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century saxophonists Jazz musicians from Massachusetts American male jazz musicians Black Lion Records artists 20th-century American male musicians