Al Gray (6 de junio de 1925 [1]– 24 de marzo de 2000) [2] fue un trombonista de jazz estadounidense, miembro de la orquesta de Count Basie. Era conocido por su técnica de silenciamiento del émbolo y escribió un libro instructivo en 1987 llamado Plunger Techniques. [2]
Nació en Aldie, Virginia, Estados Unidos, [1] y creció en Pottstown, Pensilvania. Conoció el trombón a la edad de cuatro años, tocando en una banda llamada Goodwill Boys, dirigida por su padre. [2] Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial sirvió en la Marina de los Estados Unidos, donde continuó tocando el trombón. [1] Poco después de su alta, se unió a la banda de Benny Carter, [1] luego a las bandas de Jimmie Lunceford, Lucky Millinder y Lionel Hampton. [3] En la década de 1950 fue miembro de las grandes bandas de Dizzy Gillespie y Count Basie. [3] Dirigió bandas en la década de 1960 con Billy Mitchell y Jimmy Forrest. [3] Más adelante en su vida grabó con Clark Terry y JJ Johnson. [3] Realizó treinta grabaciones bajo su propio nombre y otras setenta con bandas. [2]
Murió en Scottsdale, Arizona, a la edad de 74 años después de sufrir varias dolencias, incluida la diabetes. [2]
- Dizzy Atmosphere (Specialty, 1957)
- The Last of the Big Plungers (Argo 1960)
- The Thinking Man's Trombone (Argo, 1961)
- The Al Grey - Billy Mitchell Sextet (Argo, 1962)
- Snap Your Fingers (Argo, 1962)
- Having a Ball (Argo, 1963)
- Boss Bone (Argo, 1964)
- Night Song (Argo, 1963)
- Shades of Grey (Tangerine, 1965)
- Grey's Mood (Black and Blue, 1979)
- Get It Together (Pizza Express, 1979)
- O.D. (Out 'Dere) with Jimmy Forrest (Greyforrest, 1980)
- Struttin' and Shoutin' (Columbia, 1983)
- Things Are Getting Better All the Time with J. J. Johnson (Pablo, 1984)
- Just Jazz con Buddy Tate (Uptown, 1984)
- Al Grey & Jesper Thilo Quintet (Storyville, 1986)
- Al Grey Featuring Arnett Cobb and Jimmy Forrest (Black and Blue, 1987)
- The New Al Grey Quintet (Chiaroscuro, 1988)
- Al Grey Fab (Capri, 1990)
- Live at the Floating Jazz Festival (Chiaroscuro, 1991)
- Christmas Stockin' Stuffer (Capri, 1992)
- Truly Wonderful con Jimmy Forrest (Stash, 1992)
- Centerpiece: Live at the Blue Note (Telarc, 1995)
- Me 'n' Jack (Pullen Music, 1996)
- Matzoh and Grits (Arbors Records, 1998)
Con Count Basie
- The Atomic Mr. Basie (Roulette, 1957)
- Basie Plays Hefti (Roulette, 1958)
- Basie (Roulette, 1958)
- Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (Roulette, 1959)
- Basie One More Time (Roulette, 1959)
- Chairman of the Board (Roulette, 1959)
- Strike Up the Band (Roulette, 1959)
- Dance Along with Basie (Roulette, 1959)
- Kansas City Suite (Roulette, 1961)
- Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (Roulette, 1961)
- Easin' It (Roulette, 1963)
- Basie Picks the Winners (Verve, 1965)
- Pop Goes the Basie (Reprise, 1965)
- Big Band Scene '65 (Roulette, 1965)
- Basie Swingin' Voices Singin' (ABC-Paramount, 1966)
- Basie Meets Bond (United Artists, 1966)
- Arthur Prysock/Count Basie (Verve, 1966)
- Broadway Basie's...Way (Command, 1966)
- Have a Nice Day (Daybreak, 1971)
- Bing 'n' Basie (20th Century Fox, 1972)
- Count Basie Plays Quincy Jones & Neal Hefti (Roulette, 1975)
- Basie Big Band (Pablo, 1975)
- I Told You So (Pablo, 1976)
- Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)
- Prime Time (Pablo, 1977)
- Basie Jam #2 (Pablo, 1977)
- Basie/Eckstine Incorporated (Roulette, 1979)
- Basie Jam #3 (Pablo, 1979)
- Count On the Coast (Phontastic, 1983)
- Count On the Coast Vol. II (Phontastic, 1984)
- Autumn in Paris (Magic, 1984)
- Count On the Coast '58 (Polydor, 1985)
- Live in Stockholm (Magic, 1985)
- Loose Walk (Pablo, 1988)
- Basie in Europe (LRC, 1985)
Con Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
- San Antonio Ballbuster (Red Lightnin', 1974)
- Atomic Energy (Blues Boy, 1983)
- More Stuff (Black and Blue, 1985)
- Pressure Cooker (Alligator, 1985)
Con Ray Charles
- The Genius of Ray Charles (Atlantic, 1959)
- Genius + Soul = Jazz (Impulse!, 1961)
- At the Club (Philips, 1966)
Con Dizzy Gillespie
- Dizzy Gillespie at Newport (Verve, 1957)
- Dizzy in Greece (Verve, 1957)
- Birks' Works (Verve, 1958)
Con Lionel Hampton
- Newport Uproar! (RCA Victor, 1968)
- Hamp's Big Band Live! (Glad-Hamp, 1979)
- Live at the Blue Note (Telarc, 1991)
Con Jon Hendricks
- Fast Livin' Blues (Columbia, 1962)
- Freddie Freeloader (Denon, 1990)
- Boppin' at the Blue Note (Telarc, 1995)
Con Quincy Jones
- Golden Boy (Mercury, 1964)
- Gula Matari (A&M, 1970)
- I Heard That!! (A&M, 1976)
- Quincy Jones Talkin' Verve (Verve, 2001)
Con Óscar Pettiford
- The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi Volume Two (ABC-Paramount, 1958)
- In Memoriam Oscar Pettiford (Philips, 1963)
- Deep Passion (GRP Impulse!, 1994)
Con Clark Terry
- Squeeze Me! (Chiaroscuro, 1989)
- What a Wonderful World (Red Baron, 1993)
- Shades of Blues (Challenge, 1994)
Con otros
- Lorez Alexandria, Early in the Morning (Argo, 1960)
- Ernestine Anderson, Moanin' (Mercury, 1960)
- Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong and His Friends (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
- Tony Bennett, Sings Ellington Hot & Cool, (Columbia, 1999)
- Ray Brown, Don't Forget the Blues (Concord Jazz, 1986)
- Ray Bryant, Madison Time (Columbia, 1960)
- Dave Burns, Warming Up! (Vanguard, 1964)
- Joe Bushkin, Play It Again Joe (United Artists, 1977)
- Arnett Cobb, Keep On Pushin' (Bee Hive, 1984)
- Nat King Cole, Welcome to the Club (Capitol, 1959)
- Chris Connor, Sings Ballads of the Sad Cafe (Atlantic, 1959)
- Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Jazz at the Philharmonic 1983 (Pablo, 1983)
- Sammy Davis Jr., I Gotta Right to Swing (Brunswick, 1960)
- Buddy DeFranco, Born to Swing! Star (Satelite, 1988)
- Billy Eckstine, Mr. B (Audio Lab, 1960)
- Duke Ellington, Digital Duke (GRP, 1987)
- Ella Fitzgerald, Sweet and Hot (Decca, 1955)
- Ella Fitzgerald, Newport Jazz Festival Live at Carnegie Hall July 5, 1973 (CBS, 1973)
- Dexter Gordon, Settin' the Pace (Proper, 2001)
- Dave Grusin, The Fabulous Baker Boys (GRP, 1989)
- John Hicks, Friends Old and New (Novus, 1992)
- Johnny Hodges, 3 Shades of Blue (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
- Bobby Hutcherson, The Al Grey & Dave Burns Sessions (Lone Hill Jazz, 2004)
- J. J. Johnson, Things Are Getting Better All the Time (Pablo, 1984)
- Leiber-Stoller Big Band, Yakety Yak (Atlantic, 1960)
- Melba Liston, Melba Liston and Her 'Bones (MetroJazz, 1959)
- Jimmy McGriff, Blue to the 'Bone (Milestone, 1988)
- Jay McShann, Some Blues (Chiaroscuro, 1993)
- Lee Morgan/Thad Jones, Minor Strain (Roulette/Capitol, 1990)
- Barbara Morrison, I Know How to Do It (Chartmaker, 1996)
- Joe Newman, Counting Five in Sweden (Metronome, 1958)
- Johnny Pate, Outrageous (MGM, 1970)
- Pony Poindexter, Gumbo! (Prestige, 1963)
- Paul Quinichette, Like Basie! (United Artists, 1959)
- Dianne Reeves, The Grand Encounter (Blue Note, 1996)
- Annie Ross, Music Is Forever (DRG, 1996)
- Buddy Tate, Al Grey, Just Jazz (Reservoir, 1989)
- Leon Thomas, Facets (Flying Dutchman, 1973)
- Mel Torme, Night at the Concord Pavilion (Concord, 1990)
- Robert Trowers, Point of View (Concord, 1995)
- Sarah Vaughan, No Count Sarah (Mercury, 1959)
- Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Kidney Stew (Black and Blue, 1996)
- George Wein, Swing That Music (Columbia, 1993)
- Frank Wess, Harry Edison, Dear Mr. Basie (Concord Jazz, 1990)
- Randy Weston', Tanjah (Polydor, 1973)
- Ernie Wilkins, Here Comes the Swingin' Mr. Wilkins! (Everest, 1960)
- Joe Williams, Everyday I Have the Blues (Roulette, 1959)
- Joe Williams, Sing Along with Basie (Roulette, 1980)
- ↑ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First edición). Guinness Publishing. p. 174. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
- ↑ a b c d e Margolis, Bob (28 de marzo de 2000). «Trombonist Al Grey dies at 74». MTV News. Consultado el 14 de mayo de 2021.
- ↑ a b c d Yanow, Scott. «Al Grey». AllMusic. Consultado el 24 de marzo de 2020.