Virgil Gonsalves (September 5, 1931 – October 20, 2008) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, though primarily a baritone saxophonist.

Career

Born in

Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...

, Gonsalves was a baritone saxophonist with the orchestras of

Alvino Rey Alvin McBurney (July 1, 1908 – February 24, 2004), known by his stage name Alvino Rey, was an American jazz guitarist and bandleader. Career Alvin McBurney was born in Oakland, California, United States, but grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Early i ...

(1950) and

Tex Beneke Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke ( ; February 12, 1914 – May 30, 2000) was an American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. His career is a history of associations with bandleader Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked with Miller. H ...

(1952). In 1954, he formed an ensemble with

Bob Enevoldsen Robert Martin Enevoldsen (September 11, 1920 – November 19, 2005) was a West Coast jazz tenor saxophonist and valve trombonist born in Billings, Montana, known for his work with Marty Paich. Career Enevoldsen recorded did sessions with Art ...

, the tenor saxophonist Buddy Wise, Lou Levy,

Harry Babasin Yervant Harry Babasin, Jr. (19 March 1921 – 21 May 1988) was an American jazz bassist. His nickname was "The Bear". Biography Babasin was born in Dallas, Texas to an American mother and an Armenian father. He attended North Texas State Universit ...

, and

Larry Bunker Lawrence Benjamin Bunker (November 4, 1928 – March 8, 2005) was an American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and percussionist. A member of the Bill Evans Trio in the mid-1960s, he also played timpani with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra. ...

, and recorded the album Virgil Gonsalves Sextet in 1954 on

Nocturne Records Nocturne Records was an American jazz record company and label founded in 1954 by Roy Harte, a drummer, and Harry Babasin, a bassist. Based in Hollywood, California, Nocturne concentrated on West Coast jazz. On March 28, 1955, Nocturne merged with ...

8. Among the group's later members were

Leo Wright Leo Wright (December 14, 1933 in Wichita Falls, Texas – January 4, 1991 in Vienna) was an American jazz musician who played alto saxophone, flute and clarinet. He played with Charles Mingus, Booker Ervin, John Hardee, Kenny Burrell, Johnny Co ...

Junior Mance Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. (October 10, 1928 – January 17, 2021), known as Junior Mance, was an American jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early life (1928–1947) Mance was born in Evanston, Illinois. When he was five years old, Mance st ...

, Ron Crotty (born 1929), and

Eddie Khan Eddie Khan (born 1935, died 1985 or 1986) was an American jazz bassist who worked extensively with Max Roach, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard and Andrew Hill. Allmusic credits/ref> Discography As sideman * Bill Barron: ''Modern Windows Suite'' (Sav ...

. Gonzalves also worked as a freelance musician, mainly in the San Francisco area. He was a member of the

Pacific Gas & Electric The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building, in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 milli ...

band from 1971 to 1972.''Who's Who in Rock Music'', by William York,

Charles Scribner's Sons Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing American authors including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjorie Kinnan Rawli ...

, New York (1982)

He died in

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area lo ...

Selected discography

As leader : Virgil Gonsalves Sextet :* Los Angeles, September 23, 1954,

Nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' 'of the night') was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...

:: Virgil Gonsalves (baritone sax), Bob Enevoldsen (vocal, trombone), Buddy Wise (tenor sax), Lou Levy (pianist), Lou Levy (piano), Harry Babasin (double bass), Larry Bunker (drums) : Virgil Gonsalves, ''Jazz – San Francisco Style'' :* San Francisco, c. 1955,

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

:: Bob Bagley (vocal, trombone), Danny Pateris (tenor sax), Virgil Gonsalves (baritone sax), Clyde Pound (piano), Ron Crotty (double bass), Max Hartstein (double bass), Gus Gustafson (drums) As sideman : Rudy Salvini Orchestra, ''Intro to Jazz'' :* San Francisco 1957 :: Rudy Salvini, Allen Smith, Al Del Simone, Wayne Allen,

Billy Catalano William Catalano, Jr. (July 9, 1934 – July 15, 2005) was an American jazz trumpet player who performed with Stan Kenton And His Orchestra in the late 1950s, appearing on at least 30 original recordings as well new compilations from Capitol, Om ...

(trumpets), Van Hughes, Archie Lecoque, Chuck Etter, Ron Bertuccelli (trombones), Charles Martin (alto sax),

Jerry Coker Jerry Coker (born November 28, 1932) is an American jazz saxophonist and pedagogue. Coker was born in South Bend, Indiana. He attended Indiana University in the early 1950s, but left school to become a member of Woody Herman's Herd. Coker eventua ...

, Tom Hart, Howard Dudune (tenor sax), Virgil Gonsalves (baritone), John Marabuto (piano), Dean Reilly (double bass), (drums), Jerry Cournoyer, Jerry Mulvihill, Jerry Coker (arrangers) As leader : Virgil Gonsalves, ''Jazz at Monterey: Virgil Gonsalves Big Band Plus Six'' :* San Francisco, c. 1959, 1959 :* San Francisco, c. 1959

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonsalves, Virgil Jazz baritone saxophonists 1931 births 2008 deaths Cool jazz saxophonists American jazz baritone saxophonists Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from California Buddy Miles Express members