Gerald Brashear
Encyclopedia
Gerald Brashear was a prominent Seattle jazz
performer from the 1940s to the mid 1970s. He played the conga drums and saxophone
and was an inventive scat
singer. Brashear married jazz singer Wanda Brown after the death of Wanda’s first husband, drummer Vernon Brown. As well as performing with his wife, Brashear played with Ray Charles
in his early days in Seattle, as well as Della Reese
, Cecil Young, and Wyatt Ruther
.
In Paul de Barros’ Jackson Street After Hours (Sasquatch Books, 1993) Ernestine Anderson is quoted: “Gerald Brashear’s conga-playing was no small part of the act. Brashear had taught himself to play the style of Dizzy’s Cuban drummer, Chano Pozo
. Buddy Catlett says Brashear ’played like a Cuban’, he was that good.”
“Gerald had a dry sense of humor. The two of them (Brashear and Young) together were just craziness on the loose. Cecil was always playing crank jokes on people. A prankster. We used to wonder when he slept - he’d always be doing something, no matter what time of day or night it was. He reminded me of an overgrown kid.. He never grew up, in that respect. You had to laugh when you were around these two people. I mean the Marx Brothers was nothing compared to these guys."
“The Cecil young Quartet album, released n King in 1951 as a 10 inch LP under the title Concert of Cool Jazz was the first local record since the Maxin Trio’s to make an impact outside Seattle …
The Norman record showcased Brashear and so impressed San Francisco jazz critic Ralph Gleason that he encouraged local disc jockeys to play the cut, writing that Brashear’s scat solo on ‘Who Pared the Car/.’ was the best scat solo ever recorded.
Gerald’s solo is so incontestably in a class by itself, Eddie Jefferson
and Jon Hendricks
notwithstanding…..Brashear weaves curlicue Lestoian solos with an appealing dry, woody tone, fluid, fleet phrasing, and spitfire tonguing.”
Brashear’s last album, recorded in 1973, was Easy Living with the (Wyatt) Ruther IV, with Federico Cervantes and Ron Floreno.
The album cover noted:
“Gerald Brashear truly deserves the tile of “MUSIC MAN”. Best known for his inspiring performance on the tenor sax, he can be expected to follow his solo with an accompanying beat on the conga drum (sometimes even producing conga melodies) and then, as if that weren’t enough, he is a master of reviving interest in “skat” singing. Gerald has worked with Ray Charles, Tllie Tolles, Cecil Young - only to mention a few, and most recently backed the Della Reese Touring show. In 1955 he won the National Metronome Awards for Conga and Bongo drums.”
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...
performer from the 1940s to the mid 1970s. He played the conga drums and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and was an inventive scat
Scat
-Education:* School and College Ability Test* Somerset College of Arts and Technology, a community college in Somerset, England* Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology, a community college in Shropshire, England-Games:* Thirty-one , a card game...
singer. Brashear married jazz singer Wanda Brown after the death of Wanda’s first husband, drummer Vernon Brown. As well as performing with his wife, Brashear played with Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
in his early days in Seattle, as well as Della Reese
Della Reese
Delloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese , is an American actress, singer, game show panelist of the 1970s, one-time talk-show hostess and ordained minister. She started her career in the 1950s as a gospel, pop and jazz singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You...
, Cecil Young, and Wyatt Ruther
Wyatt Ruther
Wyatt Robert "Bull" Ruther was an American jazz double-bassist.Ruther played trombone in high school before picking up the double-bass. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Pittsburgh Musical Institute, then played in New York City with Dave Brubeck and Erroll Garner...
.
In Paul de Barros’ Jackson Street After Hours (Sasquatch Books, 1993) Ernestine Anderson is quoted: “Gerald Brashear’s conga-playing was no small part of the act. Brashear had taught himself to play the style of Dizzy’s Cuban drummer, Chano Pozo
Chano Pozo
Chano Pozo was a percussionist, singer, dancer and composer who played a major role in the founding of Latin jazz...
. Buddy Catlett says Brashear ’played like a Cuban’, he was that good.”
“Gerald had a dry sense of humor. The two of them (Brashear and Young) together were just craziness on the loose. Cecil was always playing crank jokes on people. A prankster. We used to wonder when he slept - he’d always be doing something, no matter what time of day or night it was. He reminded me of an overgrown kid.. He never grew up, in that respect. You had to laugh when you were around these two people. I mean the Marx Brothers was nothing compared to these guys."
Recording history
In 1951 Brashear played the conga and sax with the Seattle-based Cecil Young Quartet. Jackson Street After Hours notes:“The Cecil young Quartet album, released n King in 1951 as a 10 inch LP under the title Concert of Cool Jazz was the first local record since the Maxin Trio’s to make an impact outside Seattle …
The Norman record showcased Brashear and so impressed San Francisco jazz critic Ralph Gleason that he encouraged local disc jockeys to play the cut, writing that Brashear’s scat solo on ‘Who Pared the Car/.’ was the best scat solo ever recorded.
Gerald’s solo is so incontestably in a class by itself, Eddie Jefferson
Eddie Jefferson
Eddie Jefferson was a celebrated jazz vocalist and lyricist. He is credited as an innovator of vocalese, a musical style in which lyrics are set to an instrumental composition or solo. Perhaps his best-known song is "Moody's Mood for Love", though it was first recorded by King Pleasure, who cited...
and Jon Hendricks
Jon Hendricks
Jon Hendricks is an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is considered one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and replaces many instruments with vocalists...
notwithstanding…..Brashear weaves curlicue Lestoian solos with an appealing dry, woody tone, fluid, fleet phrasing, and spitfire tonguing.”
Brashear’s last album, recorded in 1973, was Easy Living with the (Wyatt) Ruther IV, with Federico Cervantes and Ron Floreno.
The album cover noted:
“Gerald Brashear truly deserves the tile of “MUSIC MAN”. Best known for his inspiring performance on the tenor sax, he can be expected to follow his solo with an accompanying beat on the conga drum (sometimes even producing conga melodies) and then, as if that weren’t enough, he is a master of reviving interest in “skat” singing. Gerald has worked with Ray Charles, Tllie Tolles, Cecil Young - only to mention a few, and most recently backed the Della Reese Touring show. In 1955 he won the National Metronome Awards for Conga and Bongo drums.”