Cecil Payne
Encyclopedia
Cecil Payne was a jazz
baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, NY. Payne also played the alto saxophone
and flute
. He played with other jazz greats, in particular Dizzy Gillespie
and Randy Weston
, in addition to his solo work as bandleader
.
Payne received his first saxophone at age 13, asking his father for one after hearing Honeysuckle Rose by Count Basie
, performed by Lester Young
. Payne took lessons from a local alto sax player, Pete Brown
.
Payne began his professional recording career with J. J. Johnson on the Savoy
label in 1946. During that year he was also began playing with Roy Eldridge
, through whom he met Dizzy Gillespie
. His earlier recordings would largely fall under the swing category, until Gillespie hired him. Payne stayed onboard until 1949, heard performing solos on "Ow!" and "Stay On It". In the early 1950s he found himself working with Tadd Dameron
, and worked with Illinois Jacquet
from 1952 to 1954. He then started freelance work in New York
and frequently performed during this period with Randy Weston
, whom Payne worked with until 1960. Payne was still recording regularly for Delmark Records
in the 1990s, when he was in his seventies, and indeed on into the new millennium.
Payne was a cousin of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave
, whom he recorded with briefly. Aside from his career in music Payne helped run his father's real estate
company during the 1950s. Payne once said that his parents urged him to consider dentistry as a career. He countered their suggestion by pointing out that no one would ever entrust his or her teeth to a "Dr. Payne."
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, NY. Payne also played the alto saxophone
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
and flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
. He played with other jazz greats, in particular Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
and Randy Weston
Randy Weston
Randy Weston , is an American jazz pianist and composer, of Jamaican parentage.-Biography:Weston studied classical piano as a child. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he ran a restaurant that was frequented by many of the leading bebop musicians...
, in addition to his solo work as bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
.
Payne received his first saxophone at age 13, asking his father for one after hearing Honeysuckle Rose by Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, performed by Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
. Payne took lessons from a local alto sax player, Pete Brown
Pete Brown (jazz musician)
James Ostend "Pete" Brown was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader....
.
Payne began his professional recording career with J. J. Johnson on the Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
label in 1946. During that year he was also began playing with Roy Eldridge
Roy Eldridge
Roy David Eldridge , nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the swing era and a...
, through whom he met Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
. His earlier recordings would largely fall under the swing category, until Gillespie hired him. Payne stayed onboard until 1949, heard performing solos on "Ow!" and "Stay On It". In the early 1950s he found himself working with Tadd Dameron
Tadd Dameron
Tadley Ewing Peake "Tadd" Dameron was an American jazz composer, arranger and pianist. Saxophonist Dexter Gordon called Dameron the "romanticist" of the bop movement, while reviewer Scott Yanow writes that Dameron was the "definitive arranger/composer of the bop era".-Biography:Born in Cleveland,...
, and worked with Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet
Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo....
from 1952 to 1954. He then started freelance work in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and frequently performed during this period with Randy Weston
Randy Weston
Randy Weston , is an American jazz pianist and composer, of Jamaican parentage.-Biography:Weston studied classical piano as a child. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he ran a restaurant that was frequented by many of the leading bebop musicians...
, whom Payne worked with until 1960. Payne was still recording regularly for Delmark Records
Delmark Records
Delmark Records is an independent American jazz and blues record label, based in Chicago since 1958. The label originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953 when owner Bob Koester released a recording of the Windy City Six, a traditional jazz group, under the "Delmar" imprint.-History:Born in 1932 in...
in the 1990s, when he was in his seventies, and indeed on into the new millennium.
Payne was a cousin of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave
Marcus Belgrave
Marcus Belgrave is a jazz trumpet player from Detroit, born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He has recorded with a variety of famous musicians, bandleaders, and record labels since the 1950s. Notable among them are: Ray Charles, Charles Mingus, Gunther Schuller, Motown Records, Tribe Records, Blue Note...
, whom he recorded with briefly. Aside from his career in music Payne helped run his father's real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
company during the 1950s. Payne once said that his parents urged him to consider dentistry as a career. He countered their suggestion by pointing out that no one would ever entrust his or her teeth to a "Dr. Payne."
As leader
- Patterns of Jazz (1957) his debut album Savoy RecordsSavoy RecordsSavoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
- Performing Charlie Parker Music (1961) (Collectables)
- Zodiac (Strata-East RecordsStrata-East RecordsStrata-East Records is an American record label specialising in jazz which was founded in 1971 by Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver.Gil Scott-Heron recorded his 1974 album Winter in America with Brian Jackson for Strata-East. "The Bottle" featured on the album, was a popular single...
) (1973) - Bird Gets The Worm (Muse) (1976)
- Cerupa (1993) (Delmark-478)
- Scotch and Milk (1997) (Delmark DE-494)
- Payne's Window (1999) (Delmark DE-509)
- The Brooklyn Four Plus One (1999) (Progressive)
- Chic Boom: Live at the Jazz Showcase (2001) (Delmark DE-529) with tenor player Eric Alexander.
As sideman
- Jay Jay Johnson: Jazz Quintets (Savoy, 1947–49)
- Tadd DameronTadd DameronTadley Ewing Peake "Tadd" Dameron was an American jazz composer, arranger and pianist. Saxophonist Dexter Gordon called Dameron the "romanticist" of the bop movement, while reviewer Scott Yanow writes that Dameron was the "definitive arranger/composer of the bop era".-Biography:Born in Cleveland,...
: Cool Boppin´ (Fresh Sound, 1949) - Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
: Pleyel 48 (Vogue, 1948) - Duke JordanDuke JordanIrving Sidney "Duke" Jordan was an American jazz pianist.-Biography:An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regular member of Charlie Parker's so-called "classic quintet" , featuring Miles Davis...
: Trio/Quartet (Savoy, 1955) - Ernie WilkinsErnie WilkinsErnest Brooks Wilkins Jr. was a jazz arranger and writer who also played tenor saxophone. He might be best known for his work with Count Basie. He also wrote for Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Dizzy Gillespie...
: Septet (Savoy, 1955) - Kenny DorhamKenny DorhamMcKinley Howard Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did...
: Afro-CubanAfro-Cuban (album)Afro-Cuban is an album by American jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham. The first release of the album dates back to 1955 on 10" Vinyl, featuring only four tracks and having a different cover artwork. Two years later, Blue Note decided to add three tracks and issue an LP...
(Blue Note, 1955) - Randy WestonRandy WestonRandy Weston , is an American jazz pianist and composer, of Jamaican parentage.-Biography:Weston studied classical piano as a child. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he ran a restaurant that was frequented by many of the leading bebop musicians...
: Jazz A La Bohemia (OJC, 1956) - Randy Weston: With These Hands... (Riverside, 1956)
- Kenny BurrellKenny BurrellKenneth Earl "Kenny" Burrell is an American jazz guitarist. His playing is grounded in bebop and blues; he has performed and recorded with a wide range of jazz musicians.-Biography:...
: Blue Moods (OJC, 1957) - John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
: Dakar (OJC/Prestige, 1957) - Kenny DorhamKenny DorhamMcKinley Howard Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did...
with Cannonball Adderley: Blue SpringBlue Spring (album)Blue Spring is an album by jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham and saxophonist Cannonball Adderley released on the Riverside label featuring performances by Dorham and Adderley with Dave Amram, Cecil Payne, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones or Jimmy Cobb...
(OJC 1959) - Bud PowellBud PowellEarl Rudolph "Bud" Powell was an American Jazz pianist. Powell has been described as one of "the two most significant pianists of the style of modern jazz that came to be known as bop", the other being his friend and contemporary Thelonious Monk...
: A Tribute To Cannonball Adderley (Columbia, 1961) - Tadd Dameron: The Magic TouchThe Magic TouchThe Magic Touch can refer to an R&B female vocal group from Long Island, which featured Pat Carty as lead vocalist [Diane Tyler would later take over as lead], Marsha Bivens and LaRonda Williams, that recorded the hit single Step Into My World on the Black Falcon label in April 1971, or a 1962...
(1962) - Archie SheppArchie SheppArchie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
: KwanzaKwanza (album)Kwanza is an album by Archie Shepp released on Impulse! in 1974. The album contains tracks recorded from September 1968 to August 1969 by Shepp with four different ensembles...
(Impulse!, 1974)