Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet | |
|---|---|
Jacquet, New York City, c. May 1947 (Photograph by William Paul Gottlieb) | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet October 30, 1922 Broussard, Louisiana, US |
| Died | July 22, 2004 (aged 81) New York City, New York, US |
| Genres | Swing, bebop, jump blues |
| Occupations | Musician, bandleader, composer |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone, bassoon, alto saxophone |
| Years active | 1941–2004 |
| Labels | Apollo, Savoy, Aladdin, RCA, Verve, Mercury, Roulette, Epic, Argo, Prestige, Black Lion, Black & Blue, Atlantic |
| Formerly of |
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Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. He is also known as one of the writers of the jazz standard "Don'cha Go 'Way Mad."
Although he was a pioneer of the honking tenor saxophone that became a regular feature of jazz playing and a hallmark of early rock and roll, Jacquet was a skilled and melodic improviser, both on up-tempo tunes and ballads. He doubled on the bassoon, one of only a few jazz musicians to use the instrument.