Jimmy Forrest (musician)
Jimmy Forrest (musician) | |
---|---|
Birth name | James Robert Forrest Jr. |
Born | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | January 24, 1920
Died | August 26, 1980 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. | (aged 60)
Genres | Swing, Hard bop |
Instrument | Tenor saxophone |
Years active | 1935–1980 |
Labels | United, Prestige, Delmark |
James Robert Forrest Jr. (January 24, 1920 – August 26, 1980)[1] was an American jazz musician, who played tenor saxophone throughout his career.
Forrest is famous for his first solo recording of "Night Train". It reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart in March 1952, and stayed at the top for seven weeks. "Hey Mrs. Jones" (No. 3 R&B) and "Bolo Blues" were his other major hits. All were made for United Records, which recorded Forrest between 1951 and 1953. He recorded frequently as both a sideman and a bandleader.
Biography
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, United States,[1] Forrest played alongside Fate Marable as a young man. He was with Jay McShann in 1940-42 and with Andy Kirk[2] from 1942 until 1948 when he joined Duke Ellington. During the early 1950s, Forrest led his own combos. He also played with Miles Davis, in early 1952 at The Barrel Club. After his solo career, he played in small combos with Harry "Sweets" Edison and Al Grey, as well as appearing with Count Basie.
Late in life Forrest married Betty Tardy, and settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he died in August 1980, aged 60.[1]
Other media
Forrest performs an extended version of "Night Train" with the Basie Orchestra in the 1979 film Last of the Blue Devils.
Forrest's version of "Night Train" was the theme song of a nightly rhythm and blues radio program in the Houston, Texas market. Also called Night Train, the program was hosted by William A. "Rascal" McCaskill, and was broadcast on KREL-AM from 1954 to 1957.
During the late 1970s Forrest appeared with an all-star lineup in New York including Howard McGhee on trumpet, John Hicks on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Charli Persip on drums.
In his 2000 book The Devil and Sonny Liston, author Nick Tosches noted that Forrest's music was a favorite of heavyweight boxer Sonny Liston, also from St.Louis, who would listen to "Night Train" and other Forrest music during training sessions and before fights.
Discography
As leader
- 1951: Night Train (United)
- 1952: Live at the Barrel (Prestige)
- 1959: All the Gin is Gone (Delmark Records) - with Grant Green.
- 1960: Forrest Fire (New Jazz)
- 1961: Out of the Forrest (Prestige)
- 1961: Sit Down and Relax with Jimmy Forrest (Prestige)
- 1961: Most Much! (Prestige)
- 1962: Soul Street (New Jazz)
- 1972: Black Forrest (Delmark) - with Al Grey, Peter Leitch, Charlie Rice, Don Patterson
- 1972: Heart of the Forrest (Palo Alto Records/Muse Records)
- 1980: O.D. (Out 'Dere) (Greyforrest)
As sideman
With Cat Anderson
- Cat on a Hot Tin Horn (Mercury, 1958)
With Count Basie
- In Europe (LRC, 1974)
- I Told You So (Pablo, 1976)
- Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)
- The Swinger (Verve, 1958)
- Mr. Swing (Verve, 1958)
- Sweetenings (Roulette, 1958)
- Harry Eddison Swings Buck Clayton and Vice Versa (Verve, 1958) - with Buck Clayton
- Patented by Edison (Roulette, 1960)
With Bennie Green
- Swings The Blues (Enrica, 1959)
- Bennie Green (Time, 1960)
- Hornful of Soul (Bethlehem, 1960)
With Al Grey
- Al Grey featuring Arnett Cobb and Jimmy Forrest (Black & Blue, 1975)
- Grey's Mood (Black & Blue, 1975)
- Struttin' and Shoutin' (Columbia, 1976)
With Jo Jones
- Jo Jones Sextet (Everest, 1960)
With Jack McDuff
- Tough 'Duff (Prestige, 1960)
- The Honeydripper (Prestige, 1961)
With Blue Mitchell
- Blue Mitchell (Mainstream, 1971)
With Waymon Reed
- 46th and 8th (Artists House, 1977)
With Betty Roché
- Singin' & Swingin' (Prestige, 1960)
With Joe Williams
- Together (Roulette, 1961) - with Harry "Sweets" Edison
- A Swingin' Night at Birdland (Roulette, 1962)
References
- ^ a b c Thedeadrockstarslcub.com - accessed July 2010
- ^ Evans, Joe, and Christopher Brooks, Follow Your Heart: Moving with the Giants of Jazz, Swing, and Rhythm and Blues. University of Illinois Press, 2008, ISBN 0-252-03303-5, ISBN 978-0-252-03303-2. Joe Evans autobiography at Google Books
External links
- 1920 births
- 1980 deaths
- Musicians from St. Louis
- American jazz tenor saxophonists
- Jazz tenor saxophonists
- Jump blues musicians
- Duke Ellington Orchestra members
- Count Basie Orchestra members
- Palo Alto Records artists
- Prestige Records artists
- Muse Records artists
- Delmark Records artists
- 20th-century American musicians