Bud Shank

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Bud Shank
Bud Shank.jpg
Bud Shank in 2006.
Background information
Birth name Clifford Everett Shank, Jr.
Born (1926-05-27)May 27, 1926
Dayton, Ohio
United States
Died April 2, 2009(2009-04-02) (aged 82)
Tucson, Arizona
United States
Genres Jazz
Occupations Musician
Instruments Alto saxophone, flute
Years active 1946–2009
Associated acts
Website www.budshankalto.com

Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank, Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first-call studio musician in Hollywood. In the 1970s he performed regularly with the L. A. Four. Shank ultimately abandoned the flute to focus exclusively on playing jazz on the alto saxophone. He also recorded on tenor and baritone sax. He is also well known for the alto flute solo on the Mamas & Papas song California Dreamin' recorded in 1965.

Contents

Biography [edit]

Bud Shank was born in Dayton, Ohio. He began with clarinet in Vandalia, Ohio, but had switched to saxophone before attending the University of North Carolina. While at UNC, Shank was initiated into the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. In 1946 he worked with Charlie Barnet before moving on to Kenton and the West coast jazz scene. He also had a strong interest in what might now be termed world music, playing Brazilian-influenced jazz with Laurindo Almeida in 1953-54, and in 1962 fusing jazz with Indian traditions in collaboration with Indian composer and sitar-player Ravi Shankar.[1]

In the 1970s and 80s Shank joined with Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton, and Laurindo Almeida to form the world-renowned LA Four, who recorded and toured extensively through the decade. Shank helped to popularize both Latin-flavored and chamber jazz music, and as a musician's musician also performed with orchestras as diverse as the Royal Philharmonic, the New American Orchestra, the Gerald Wilson Big Band, Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra, and the legendary Duke Ellington.

In 2005 he formed the Bud Shank Big Band in Los Angeles to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra.

A documentary film about Bud Shank, Bud Shank "Against the Tide" Portrait of a Jazz Legend, was produced and directed by Graham Carter of Jazzed Media and released by Jazzed Media as a DVD (with a companion CD) in 2008. To date the documentary film has been awarded 4 indie film awards including an Aurora Awards Gold.

Shank died on April 2, 2009, of a pulmonary embolism at his home in Tucson, Arizona, one day after returning from San Diego, California where he was recording a new album.[2][3]

Discography [edit]

[icon] This section requires expansion. (April 2009)

As leader [edit]

  • Brazilliance, Volumes 1 and 2 (1953) early fusion of jazz and Brazilian music, with Laurindo Almeida
  • Bud Shank and three trombones (1954) - Pacific Jazz joined by Bob Cooper, Shelly Manne, Maynard Ferguson, Claude Williamson, Bob Enevoldsen, Joe Mondragon
  • Bud Shank with Shorty Rogers (1954) - Pacific Jazz
  • Bud Shank and Bill Perkins (1955–58) - Pacific Jazz
  • Bud Shank Quintet (1955) - Nocturne Records
  • Cool Fool (1954 and 1955) joined by Maynard Ferguson and Bob Brookmeyer
  • Theme Music from The James Dean Story (1957) - with Chet Baker
  • Blowin' Country (1958) - Pacific Jazz with Bob Cooper
  • Bossa Nova Jazz Samba (Pacific Jazz, 1962) - with Clare Fischer
  • Brasamba (Pacific Jazz, 1963) - with Clare Fischer and Joe Pass
  • All Through the Night: Julie London Sings the Choicest of Cole Porter (1965)
  • Magical Mystery (1967)
  • Crystal Comments (1979) flute and two pianos with Alan Broadbent
  • Drifting Timelessly (1990) with the Roumanis String Quartet
  • A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing (1992) with Bob Cooper and the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra
  • By Request: Bud Shank Meets the Rhythm Section (1997)- Muse Records quartet led by Shank on alto
  • Taking the Long Way Home on Jazzed Media (2006) his first album as a big band leader, with arrangements by Bob Florence and others. Shank's alto is the featured instrument.
  • Beyond the Red Door on Jazzed Media (2007) Shank playing alto saxophone in duet with pianist Bill Mays.
  • Fascinating Rhythms on Jazzed Media (2009) Shank's final recording as leader of his quartet, recorded in January 2009. Quartet members are Bud Shank- Alto Sax, Bill Mays- Piano, Bob Magnusson- Bass, Joe LaBarbera- Drums.

As sideman [edit]

With Maynard Ferguson

With Patti Page

With Ravi Shankar

With Clare Fischer

With Sérgio Mendes

With The Mamas & the Papas

With Lalo Schifrin

With Gábor Szabó and Bob Thiele

With Hugo Montenegro (flute)

With Ron Elliott

With Gene Clark

With Harry Nilsson

With Boz Scaggs

References [edit]

  1. ^ Talbot, Bruce. "Jazz Profiles: Bud Shank". NPR. Retrieved October 11, 2012. 
  2. ^ a b Thurber, Jon (April 6, 2009). "Bud Shank dies at 82; alto saxophonist was immersed in West Coast jazz scene". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 6, 2009. 
  3. ^ Weber, Bruce (April 7, 2009). "Bud Shank, Jazz Saxophonist, Is Dead at 82". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2009. 

External links [edit]

Authority control
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