Born in Corsicana, Texas, Newman's professional career as a musician began in 1954 as a member of the Ray Charles Band. Newman got his nickname in high school music class. Mr. Miller, his then music teacher, saw his music upside down on the stand, and knowing that Newman couldn't read music very well at the time, walked over and tapped him on his head with the conductor's baton and called him "Fathead." The entire classroom laughed and Newman, having good humor, did not find it derogatory. The name stuck with him, but he said he preferred to be called "David."  ... Read more

From Album: "Ingmar Nordströms ~ Saxparty Favoriter"

Ingmar Nordström was a dance band in Växjö in Sweden which was formed in 1955 by bandleader and saxophonist Ingmar Nordström from Växjö. First occurrence took place in Folkets park in Eringsboda, Blekinge. The last gig took place in Växjö, 19 December 1991, when Ingmar Nordström decided to finish their dance bands career. During the 1970s and 1980s, the band had its heyday, and they played in most of Sweden's dances and folk parks. 1987 was Ingmar Nordström a Grammy for "this year's dance band."  ~ From Wiki

Ingmar Nordström Official Site: http://www.ingmarnordstrom.se/

From Album: "Arne Domnerus ~ Best of Dompan (2008)"

Sven Arne Domnérus (December 20, 1924 – September 2, 2008) was a Swedish jazz alto saxophonist and clarinetist, popularly nicknamed Dompan.

He was best known for his recordings with visiting American players such as James Moody, Art Farmer and Clifford Brown. Domnérus also played with Charlie Parker when he made his tour of Sweden 1950. Domnérus worked with the Swedish Radio Big Band from 1956 to 1978, and wrote for television and films during the period. He also recorded extensively with Bengt Hallberg. Together with fellow Swedes Bengt-Arne Wallin, Rolf Ericson and Ake Persson (the latter two both former members of Duke Ellington's Orchestra), he participated at the Jazz Workshops, organised for the Ruhrfest in Recklinghausen by Hans Gertberg from the Hamburg radio station.  ~ Read more …

From Album: "Max Greger ~ Oscar-Melodien Zum Tanzen".

Max Greger, Jazz saxophonist,musician and conductor, born 2. April 1926 in München-Giesing,Germany.

As bandleader of his orchestra, Max Greger is a popular and well-known musician in Europe with myriad credits to his name, including film and television work. A gift of an accordion as a child first spurred his musical inclinations, and Greger ultimately studied clarinet and saxophone at the Munich Conservatory during the late ’30s. Briefly serving in the military toward the end of World War II, Greger began performing with various jazz groups. His postwar work, often in American officers’ clubs, ultimately led Greger to form his own sextet around 1948-1949, and later a big band. Performing a mixture of pop, jazz, and swing tunes, Greger had considerable success from the ’50s onward, including regular appearances on German television from 1963 to 1977, and helped establish the growing German jazz movement.

From Album: "Max Greger ~ Oscar-Melodien Zum Tanzen"

Max Greger, Jazz saxophonist,musician and conductor, born 2. April 1926 in München-Giesing,Germany.

As bandleader of his orchestra, Max Greger is a popular and well-known musician in Europe with myriad credits to his name, including film and television work. A gift of an accordion as a child first spurred his musical inclinations, and Greger ultimately studied clarinet and saxophone at the Munich Conservatory during the late ’30s. Briefly serving in the military toward the end of World War II, Greger began performing with various jazz groups. His postwar work, often in American officers’ clubs, ultimately led Greger to form his own sextet around 1948-1949, and later a big band. Performing a mixture of pop, jazz, and swing tunes, Greger had considerable success from the ’50s onward, including regular appearances on German television from 1963 to 1977, and helped establish the growing German jazz movement.

From Album: "Dave Liebman ~ Besame Mucho".

Dave Liebman (born on 4 September 1946, Brooklyn, New York) is an American saxophonist and flautist.

Liebman is a New Yorker, and a History graduate from New York University. He learned both piano and saxophone as a boy but had no formal jazz education. In the late sixties he worked with Pete La Roca, Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Steve Swallow, amongst others, before joining Elvin Jones's band. In 1972 he was asked to join Miles Davis's group, and he can be heard on Davis's albums On the Corner, Big Fun, Dark Magus, and Get Up With It (the half-hour opening track "He Loved Him Madly" is based on Liebman's haunting flute). After leaving Davis's group in 1974, he toured with Corea and recorded two albums for ECM. He plays the tenor and soprano saxophones. He has continued to perform and record up to the present day. Liebman is a master player in the modern style of John Coltrane.   ~ From Wiki

Dave Liebman's web site

From Album: "Gil Ventura ~ 18 Film Hits on Saxophone"

From Album: "Dexter Gordon ~ Other Side Of Round Midnight", (Guitar - John McLaughlin, Piano - Herbie Hancock, Drums - Billy Higgins; )

Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923–April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and actor. He is considered one of the first bebop tenor players. A famous photograph by Herman Leonard of Gordon smoking a cigarette during a set at the Royal Roost in New York City in 1948 is one of the most iconic images in the history of jazz.

Gordon's height was 6 feet 6 inches (about 198 cm), and so consequently he was also known as 'Long Tall Dexter'. He played a Conn 10M 'Ladyface' tenor  until the early 1960s, at which point he switched over to a Selmer Mark VI. His saxophone was fitted with an Otto Link metal mouthpiece, which can be seen in various photos.

Gordon's father, Dr. Frank Gordon, M.D., is one of the first prominent African-American physicians and a graduate from Howard University.

Dexter's maternal grandfather is Captain Edward L. Baker, one of the 5 Medal of Honor winners (9th Cav.) in the Spanish-American War and served in the 9th and 10th Cavalries - in the group known as the Buffalo Soldiers.  ~ Read more from Wiki

From Album: "Fausto Papetti Collection, Vol. 2 [BOX SET]".

Fausto Papetti (Viggiù, January 28, 1923–San Remo, June 15, 1999) was an Italian alto saxophone player.

His performance of the song "Love's Theme" (originally by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra) was featured on the breakbeat compilation "Ultimate Breaks and Beats".

Papetti became well known for all the years '60 and '70, and all his new album reaches the top of the hit parade; he was also printed in all the Latin American market. During the period of greatest splendour, the '70s, Papetti also produced two collections a year, the best-selling being the 20th one, which came up first in 1975.

These records are also characterized for the sexy covers on which girls posed indecently. He become a real father of that musical kind, and in the '70s many imitators appeared, like Johnny Sax or Piergiorgio Farina.  ~ From Wiki

From Album: "Art Pepper ~ Live In Tokyo '79/Besame Mucho".  Art Pepper (b. September 1, 1925, Gardena, California – d. June 15, 1982, Los Angeles, California), born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr., was an American alto saxophonist.

Despite a remarkably colorful and difficult life, Art Pepper was quite consistent in the recording studios; virtually every recording he made is well worth getting. In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists (along with Lee Konitz and Paul Desmond) that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker. During his last years, Pepper seemed to put all of his life's experiences into his music and he played with startling emotional intensity.

After a brief stint with Gus Arnheim, Pepper played with mostly black groups on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. He spent a little time in the Benny Carter and Stan Kenton orchestras before serving time in the military (1944-1946). Some of Pepper's happiest days were during his years with Stan Kenton (1947-1952), although he became a heroin addict in that period. The 1950s found the altoist recording frequently both as a leader and a sideman, resulting in at least two classics (Plays Modern Jazz Classics and Meets the Rhythm Section), but he also spent two periods in jail due to drug offenses during 1953-1956. Pepper was in top form during his Contemporary recordings of 1957-1960, but the first half of his career ended abruptly with long prison sentences that dominated the 1960s. His occasional gigs between jail terms found him adopting a harder tone influenced by John Coltrane that disturbed some of his longtime followers. He recorded with Buddy Rich in 1968 before getting seriously ill and rehabilitating at Synanon (1969-1971). Art Pepper began his serious comeback in 1975 and the unthinkable happened. Under the guidance and inspiration of his wife Laurie, Pepper not only recovered his former form but topped himself with intense solos that were quite unique; he also enjoyed occasionally playing clarinet. His recordings for Contemporary and Galaxy rank with the greatest work of his career. Pepper's autobiography Straight Life (written with his wife) is a brutally honest book that details his sometimes horrifying life. When Art Pepper died at the age of 56, he had attained his goal of becoming the world's great altoist.   ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide