The Most Underrated Saxophonist in Jazz
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ม.ค. 2025
- Paul Gonsalves (July 12, 1920 - May 15, 1974) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist best known for his association with Duke Ellington. At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue," a performance credited with revitalizing Ellington's waning career in the 1950s.
Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, to Portuguese Cape Verdean 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, and played as a member of the Sabby Lewis Orchestra. His first professional engagement in Boston was with the same group on tenor saxophone, in which he played before and after his military service during World War II. He also played with fellow Cape Verdean Americans in Phil Edmund's band in the 1940s. Before joining Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1950, he also played in big bands led by Count Basie (1947-1949) and Dizzy Gillespie (1949-1950).
At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, 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. 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 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, lay side by side in the same New York funeral home for a period of time. Gonsalves is buried at the Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.
January 9, 1962. The Duke Ellington Orchestra
Trumpet: Ray Nance, Shorty Baker, Cat Anderson, Bill Berry, Ed Mullens
Trombone: Lawrence Brown, Leon Cox, Chuck Conners
Alto-saxophone: Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges
Tenor-saxophone: Paul Gonsalves
Clarinet (and tenor-saxophone): Jimmy Hamilton
Baritone-saxophone: Harry Carney
Piano: Duke Ellington
Bass: Aaron Bell
Drums: Sam Woodyard
Video courtesy Storyville Records: storyvillereco...
#dukeellington
STORYVILLE RECORDS IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST JAZZ RECORD LABELS AND THE OLDEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ LABEL IN EUROPE.
Named after the notorious New Orleans district where jazz was born, the label was launched in Copenhagen in 1952 by jazz fanatic Karl Emil Knudsen. Storyville originally sold imported American records but when the burgeoning post war jazz scene attracted the American jazz artists to tour in Europe and Scandinavia Knudsen seized every opportunity to record his jazz heroes for the label.
By late 2003 when Karl Emil Knudsen, the self-styled “Doctor of Jazz Archaeology”, passed away, his Storyville label was considered by the jazz cognoscenti to be the Scandinavian equivalent to America’s Blue Note Records. The Storyville archive includes recordings by Louis Armstrong, Ben Webster, Duke Ellington, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Benny Carter, to name but a few. Storyville Records was also instrumental in launching the career of some of the most influential Danish jazz artists including Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Fessor’s Big City Band and the legendary Papa Bues Viking Jazz Band.
In 2005 Edition Wilhelm Hansen, a Danish company with over 150 years in music publishing and part of the Wise Music Group acquired Storyville from Knudsen’s family. Anders Stefansen and Mona Granager, both long standing associates who worked with Knudsen to build the label, have stayed on with Storyville and will preserve the label’s unique identity.
As part of Wise Music’s family of companies Storyville Records is ideally placed to bring its wealth of classic recordings to new generations of jazz fans through CD re-releases, special collectors’ CD edition of rare jazz recordings and digital downloads. We are sure that Karl Emil would be delighted to know that his label lives on within a fiercely independent music company that shares the same passion for great music
I heard a DJ on the (long gone) jazz station in Newport telling this story: He had just taken a job walking around selling concessions at the Newport Jazz Festival, even though he didn’t really like jazz.
When Paul started his famous solo the guy stopped his selling and stood transfixed. At the end of the solo he realized he hadn’t moved and had forgotten all about his job. He became a lifelong jazz fan at that moment.
I heard Ellington play at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore in the early 1970s. When Gonsalves stepped up to play a solo, someone helpfully repositioned the microphone nearer to his sax bell. He immediately stopped playing, pushed the microphone away, and then proceeded to blow the roof off.
Wow!
😮Uno koy@@luiswilliams360
He’s always hated mics
Paul Gonsalves could hang with the best of them. Very original in style and tone, and had just as much command of his horn as Sonny Rollins or John Coltrane. PG was one of Jazz's greatest tenor players.
well said
I think his tone was particularly his own. He could make his horn really moan and lament especially on ballads.
Better. Didn’t play junk like those guys
Lester !!!
I read many years ago that Stan Getz really rated his tonal quality. Coming from someone with such a magnificent sound himself, that was some accolade.
I had Paul's son, Renell, as drummer in my band in Detroit. Great drummer!
Paul could really swing. Such a smooth flowing string of notes. Love his playing. His solo at Newport on one of his signature tunes is epic. This solo is simply stunning.
I've been a professional sax/clar player for 50 years and Paul has always been one of my very favorite players. It's just a shame he couldn't kick the drug habit that eventually took his life at the young age of just 53. I was fortunate enough to see him in person at Madison square garden with Duke Ellington in 1971 and that's something i'll never forget! Thank goodness we have all the wonderful recordings and you tube videos to watch, enjoy and learn from.
I love Paul Gonsalves. I started to listen to him when i was just 15-years of age. That´s 40-years ago now. And i love him just as much today. The tone he had on the tenorsax is just marvelous. This was an amazing solo😍
😮 WOW thanks for the history lesson sàxaphone
🎶
Underrated?!!!!! B.S. Paul Gonsales was one of the truly GREATS!!!!!
Being underrated is not an insult. It means that he was better than many gave him credit for. He was one of the greats, but not many gave him the credit he deserved, thus he was underrated. That's what underrated means. It's an unsult if you're OVERRATED.
Duke was waining and it was Paul's remarkable twenty-something chorus solo at the Newport Jazz festival resurrected the band.
Dude is smoking!!!!!! Vastly underrated like Lucky Thompson.
Lucky Thompson was really a gem.
They were both great. In the Ben Webster tradition.
Agree👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Love Maestro Gonsalves!!!🔥🔥🔥
A legend. How can you not love Paul Gonsalves playing?
So much Soul, just when you think he's running out of breath, he still continues. Paul Gonsalves is among my favorite tenor saxophonists
Yeah exactly! Almost sounds as if he goes into circular breathing!
That gig at Newport reincarnated Duke and the band. I could watch it endlessly. Gonsalves didn’t get the acclaim he deserved.
For sure.
The saxophone solo was a nice steady flow of beautiful notes!🎷🎼⭐️💫
Underated, are you kidding? This is the guy who played the most famous live tenor sax solo in the history of American jazz music! Oh yeah, and also got Duke Ellington on the cover of Time Magazine (deservedly so)🎷🎶🙏
Live at Newport I believe. Just dug it out. Pure joy…
Man! He was GREAT! Best sax playing I’ve heard in a while! REALLY great tune! Nuff said.
An absolute Beast!! Unmistakable sound.
exactly
Harmonically he seems so different than others of his time. His note choices… He seems to pick things outside just a touch. Not nasty outside, just not what you’d expect.
Yes. I would say he gets to the edge.
don byas, lucky thompson, benny golson and eddie lockjaw davis are all harmonically, tonally-- stylistically close relatives. they all share one thing in common: strong coleman hawkins influence.
@@drewmfieand I love the mighty Hawk
Thank for posting this valuable piece of music history and tenor saxophone instruction.
Hello Bret, for a while I was only able to view your channel via unregistered access, and so I was not allowed to comment. Now with my registered account , I would like to say that your channel is developing again and that makes me happy for you.
Use everything the yt algo asks for you for your/our success.
Best luck
OK, I'll try.
That man got a bag full of licks and not afraid to let it go. Thx for the vid!
Ahhhh, Thank you, Bret. His concept with ballads features possibly the greatest subtone command and articulation in the Tenor tradition. Such elegant, sultry and mysterious beauty. Captivating!
They don't play like that any more.
That's for damn sure
Paul was about the most "outside" soloist that Ellington ever had in his bands.Thats one reason that he is my favorite of all of Duke's soloists!
Unsung is an understatement
Paul Gonçalves espectacular
Amazing solo! Wow !!😍
Agree strong that Gonsalves was one of greats. "Duke Ellington's Jazz Parrty" contains a number of great Gonsalves riffs. The recording also contained performances by Dizzy Gillesspie and Jimmy Rushing.
Wow. I love that recording. Have to listen again. thanks.
@@JazzVideoGuy Recorded in 1959, same year as Kind of Blue. Both were Coumbia releases. Almost too much for coincidence.
Nonstop cookin’!
Never heard of him, thanks so much, luv it
Unbelievable! Thank God for Duke and his band!
yup
Great style..
Bravo....jolly good!!
Wow! Thanks for sharing, I'll be looking into him more!!
Hey! saw you at one of the J-Ensemble shows in NY. Have any plans for posting preformance clips? Like strait raw gig footage or from shows? I know I and many others would love it.
Fantastic playing!! totally underated...
When talking about great tenor sax players Paul has got to be in the conversation. He could play!
Fo sure
The Ellington band was blessed with a strong sax/reed section that stayed together many years - Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton and Harry Carney. Ben Webster was there earlier, but never quit playing the classic Ellington tunes after he left.
Gonsalves was hot when he was on, but sadly could also pass out cold holding his sax while the rest of the band played around him. Duke was very forgiving, knowing what he added on his good nights.
thanks for sharin'!
Beautifully done!Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it.
And of course this performance brings to mind the great solo at the Newport Festival in the late 50s.
exactly
If you notice his opening lick is the one he played on the first chorus at the Newport gig.
This is great!
Thanks for this Jazz Video Guy
Wow! Just wow! Brilliant playing!
I had to listen to that twice
Only twice??
I would certainly add Joe Farrell and Bill Evans (a top Liebman student). Although he rarely played it, Michael Brecker’s tone on soprano was incredible and so different from his tenor sound. Lastly, pretty unrecognized in the jazz community (like Kenny G), is Paul Winter, who left traditional jazz to head in a more New Age style. Always loved his sound and expressiveness. Great list.
Thanks for sharing that!
Wow!
Fantastic.
One of the great ones, as you say. His style encompassed both the pre-war and the post-war harmonic language and he had drive and excitement. His best period was his first fifteen years (1950-65) with Duke Ellington, who made him one of his main stars. Gonsalves' personal "problems" were often egregious, but Duke hung on to him due to his warmth of personality and musical genius. In 1968, Ellington hired Harold Ashby, an excellent tenor player with a strength and stamina Gonsalves no longer had, while retaining Gonsalves, who died days before Ellington. This was the film with the very strange hairstyle Duke tried and then dropped.
My favorite PG is his fight with cantankerous Charles Mingus. It started with him asking Mingus to sight read a classical chart. Mingus wasn't doing it to his satisfaction apparently and the name calling ensued including the n* word. It culminated with PG getting slapped or punched and PG chasing Mingus screaming and hollering with an axe. Even Duke marveled at Mingus' agility and nimbleness for a big man as he was jump over the chairs, his bass etc. Mingus' bass got hit as it has used as a shield. Frankly, dude was crazy.. The axe incident happened as the band was playing!!!!
@@donmilland7606 That story did not involve Gonsalves, but Juan Tizol, who apparently pursued Mingus with a knife, not an axe. This was told in Mingus' autobiography. Gonsalves was a gentle, sweet soul.
Ashby was excellent, rich tone in the Ben Webster tradition. He made several recordings under his own name for smaller jazz labels in the 1970’s.
Thanks for the history lesson. 🎶
😊
Thank you ❤
You're welcome 😊
This is classy .
One of the best.
Thank you,Bret🌟🌹🔥🌹🌟LOVE IT!!!!
I've got both his albums with Tubby Hayes and one he recorded in France. All fine!👌
Gotta check that out.
I've been a Paul Gonsalves freak since I heard this tune ("Ready Go"?) on that live album, Jazz at the Plaza vol 2. Also love disc one of the Great Paris Concert (1963, incl "Suite Thursday") and an album called, I think, Private Collection vol 3. That whole session (from 1959ish?) features PG and the trombone section
Gonsalves is a force of nature.
You are right. The Great Paris Concert is a gem.
@JazzVideoGuy Sunny Side, Star Crossed Lovers and All Of Me. Whipped cream on top of jelly!
Saw him at the Blue Note, Chicago1950.
Thanks for a wonderful clip!
Glad you enjoyed it
Fuck yeah!
Thanks again Bret!
My pleasure!
Great! (when he was awake on the stand)
Great video!! I need to hear more from PG. The credits don't show it, but I am wondering if that is Louie on drums. The double bass drums make me think that it might be the great Louie Bellson.
no, it's Rufus Jones on drums
So many underrated players, this is certainly one. My vote would be Frank Strozier
Yes, I'm a big Frank Stozier fan as well. One of those Memphis players.
@@JazzVideoGuy my vote for under recognized is Sonny Criss
A very unique voice. Reminds me of Jackie McLeans style the way he stretches the pitch.
Nice choice. My favorites are Booker Ervin and Billy Harper.
You've named two really excellent tenor players.
Perfect 🎶🎷
A monster! A genius monster!
true dat!
And don't forget that in USA the first style of music in the charts is "Country music", so don't be surprised about the "rate" of talent like Paul Gonsalves in USA, something different in Europe.
I myself have two country songs on my playlist.😌
So the US is more inventive but less preservationist? Maybe that's two sides of the same coin.
❤ PG
See Paul Gonsalves and Dizzy Gillespie.
Wow man…he was piece of something
Agreed
What a strange title, everyone I know rates him highly!
If anyone is underrated, it’s someone like James Spaulding…
I think he soloed in the film Paris Blues.
Love this shit
I gave saxophone lessons to his son!!!
Paul Gonzalves was playing “out” way ahead of his time and influenced cats like George Garzone.
ALL OF JAZZ is "underrated" at this point but yeah, thanks for reminding the future about the great Paul Gonsalves and Duke Ellington's band.
Wow that is a smoking session!
I think he played guitar too.
Yup
For me, Don Byas would make the list. Yeah, his recordings are nearly nonexistent after the forties until he came back from Europe, and like so many others - Ike Quebec, Gene Ammons - he died while his comeback was just getting underway.
I'm a huge Don Byas fan. If he hadn't moved to Europe in his prime, he'd be much better known.
Paul gonsalves is properly rated
Blow...BLOW yo'HORN... BLOW ...
yes!
No charts?
Boom Jackie boom Chick
Really good player he was. Another guy who I thought was underrated on sax was Joe Farrell
Paul Gonsalves?
Hummingbird was a stinker but all else amazing!!
This audio is not real one. Can't you see?
?
類い稀なソロ、必要なミネラルが揃っているような。
To be in the Ellinghton band as first Sax wasn't for everyone. Here we ear the proof
I transcribed 20 choruses and the Cadenza on this other version. Definitely underrated. th-cam.com/video/oO4RJfu4q0c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=efdpP6nRMpC-nR4s
I have to check that out.
Paul shone brightly in Ellington band recordings !! Intriguing and rare for a hispanic integration in those 'segregated' years. Unsurprising for jazz to be a key medium for racial 'integration'.
true dat
I must disagree. I'm not putting him down, but though Gonsalves may share some territory with Lockjaw - who is pretty underrated - I have to say Lockjaw's more interesting, has a sound... and puts Gonsalves away on many fronts. And HE'S underrated.
They did a great album together called Love Calls on RCA. Paul really brought it!
Eddie Lockjaw is underrated. So is Arnett Cobb. I saw him at a small club in Stafford TX for New Years Eve 1981-82. He was home for the holidays. Many years later I spoke to his daughter about that memorable occasion. She looked and quipped "was he drunk?" I was taken back a little. But I said actually he was drinking only ginger ale that night.
@@donmilland7606 Arnett Cobb is so totally outtasight. The Blues distilled 100 proof.
Harold land , hawnk mobley
Paul Gonsalves is mainly underrated (the latest buzzword on "youtube") by people who doesn't know anything about Jazz.
Someday, Charlie Parker will be "underrated"...
And please, forget that "27 blues chorus on "crescendo and diminuendo" history told 150 267 times by ignorant journalists... every great saxes soloist is able to "take" 30 choruses on the blues.
Great underappreciated tenor.
@@bt11able Great appreciated tenor, by those who know something about Jazz.
Taking 27 choruses at this level of creativity, intensity, and maintaining interest is a real feat. Not many can do so and keep the audience's attention. I've seen many people try and fail! Don't underestimate that.
Eh... I think we can call him underappreciated these days. I'm hearing a lot of cool harmonic stuff here that deserves a deeper dive. The big band players in general fly under the radar.
all great talent
Certainly not underrated by fellow saxophonists!
Beautiful video, but whoever digitized it sped it up, so it's about a quarter tone sharp. It happened with all those Goodyear tv shows. th-cam.com/video/L2Kk_s9-tmw/w-d-xo.html
You must have sharp ears given that the frequency shift between semi tones is fractionally less than 6%
@TonyMcQuarry Try to play along with any instrument, you'll be flat.
Love Gonsalves. But the most unmoderated (Bebop/post Bop) tenor player is Tubby Hayes
Not underated....known for one solo. IMO one of the weaker players in a band of superstars.
SAX is SAX!!!!