Historical Dictionary of Jazz. John S. Davis
AYLER, ALBERT (1936–1970)
Ayler began his professional career as an alto saxophonist playing with rhythm and blues bands led by both others and himself. Ayler enlisted in the army and switched to tenor saxophone while performing in the army’s concert bands. Ayler sat in on jazz jam sessions in France and decided to remain in Europe after he completed his service with the army. Ayler felt that Europeans were more sympathetic toward his style, and he recorded several live albums in Denmark and Sweden. After moving to New York in 1963, Ayler found musicians in Henry Grimes, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray, who were sympathetic to his musical style and recorded several albums from 1964 to 1968 that included In Greenwich Village and Love Cry, both on the Impulse! label. Ayler showcased his spiritual and rhythm and blues roots on several albums including Spirits Rejoice on ESP. Reasons for Ayler’s premature passing are still unclear. His body was discovered by local authorities after being been washed up along the shore of New York City’s East River. See also AYLER, DONALD (1942–2007); FREE JAZZ.
AYLER, DONALD (1942–2007)
Ayler started his musical career as an alto saxophonist but switched to trumpet after a short stint in Europe. Donald was asked to spend time focusing on developing his playing with musician and family friend Charles Tyler and was reunited with his brother Albert in 1965. Albert’s newly formed band, which also included Tyler, recorded several times, including the ESP album Spirits Rejoice and In Greenwich Village on Impulse!. Ayler suffered from a nervous breakdown and alcoholism, causing him to be fired from his brother’s band in 1968. Donald continued to play sporadically throughout the remainder of his life, including forming a septet that performed in Italy and recorded the album In Florence. See also AYLER, ALBERT (1936–1970).
AZIMUTH
A jazz trio formed by British pianist John Taylor, flugelhornist Kenny Wheeler, and singer Norma Winstone. The group was founded in 1977 and quickly recorded three albums: Azimuth (1977, ECM); The Touchstone (1977, ECM); and Depart (1979, ECM). The group remained active through the early 2000s, although it did not perform regularly and often played together as part of other larger ensembles.
B
BACKBEAT
A term used in jazz and other popular music referring to accenting the second and fourth beat of each bar. Sometimes referred to as the upbeat.
BAILEY, COLIN (1934–)
Growing up in Swindon, England, Bailey taught himself drums until he was able to study formally at the age of seven. Bailey’s professional career took off when he moved to Australia and joined Bryce Rohde’s Australian Jazz Quartet. During a tour of the United States with the Australian Jazz Quartet, Bailey was heard in San Francisco by pianist Vince Guaraldi, who hired him regularly throughout the 1960s. Bailey was on several of Guaraldi’s most popular albums, including Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus (1962, Original Jazz Classics) and A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964, Fantasy). Bailey moved to Los Angeles, although he was still not an official U.S. citizen, and performed with many of the leading Los Angeles musicians in addition to becoming a prominent studio musician. During the period from 1962 to 1970, Bailey performed with Benny Goodman, George Shearing, and Victor Feldman and also substituted for Tony Williams briefly in Miles Davis’s famous late quintet.
Bailey became an American citizen in 1970. He developed a television presence serving as replacement for Ed Shaughnessy on the NBC Tonight Show in addition to playing a crazed drummer on the television show Fernwood 2 Night. In 1979, Bailey moved to Texas and took a teaching position at North Texas State University. He left his faculty position in 1984 and moved back to California, this time to the San Francisco area. Bailey freelanced with artists such as Richie Cole, Joe Pass, Jimmy Rowles, Red Mitchell, and Ron Affif throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He continues to perform and present master classes in the United States, Brazil, and Canada.
BAILEY, VICTOR (1960–2016)
A bassist, Bailey was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was raised by a highly musical family. He attended the Berklee College of Music in 1978 after being disqualified from military service due to asthma. Years later, he would return as a faculty member at the college. Bailey was the bassist for the group Weather Report during their final years from 1982 to 1986. He launched a solo career in 1988 and became known, in part, for his ability to sing along with his improvised solos. Illness associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease forced him to retire from playing in 2015.
BAILEY, WILLIAM C. “BUSTER” (1902–1967)
Bailey began his professional career as a clarinetist with W. C. Handy’s orchestra at the age of 15. He moved from Memphis to Chicago in 1919 to pursue opportunities with other prominent jazz leaders like Erskine Tate, Mamie Smith, and King Oliver. Bailey studied with clarinetist Franz Schoepp, who also taught Benny Goodman. At the recommendation of Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson hired Bailey to join his orchestra in New York, and the two would work together throughout the 1920s and for several occasional periods during the 1930s. In 1929, Bailey left Henderson for the first time to pursue touring and recording opportunities with Noble Sissle, Edgar Hayes, and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band.
Bailey joined bassist John Kirby’s sextet, a group that included trumpet player Charlie Shavers. The sextet developed a great reputation, and Bailey’s talents as a clarinetist truly shined. The group stayed together until 1946 and recorded several albums, including Boss of the Bass (1941, Columbia); Biggest Little Band in the Land (1944, Classic Jazz); and John Kirby and His Sextet (1946, Alamac). After the band disbanded in 1946, Bailey played with the traditional jazz–influenced bands of Wilbur De Paris and Henry “Red” Allen, in addition to freelancing with many other artists throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Bailey joined Louis Armstrong’s All Stars in 1965 and remained with that group until his passing in 1967. While Bailey was known mostly as an outstanding sideman, he did record a few albums as a leader, most notably All about Memphis (1958, Felsted). See also DRUM SET.
BAKER, CHESNEY “CHET” (1929–1988)
Baker took up the trumpet while attending Glendale Junior High School in California but did not develop as a performer until he completed two stints with two army bands, the 298th Army band in Berlin, Germany, and the Presidio Army band in San Francisco. Upon being discharged in 1952, Baker was hired by jazz icon Charlie Parker for two brief periods in 1952 and 1953 while also touring and recording with Gerry Mulligan. The collaboration with Gerry Mulligan was considered a jazz milestone and was highly influential in the creation of the West Coast jazz style. Baker’s melodic approach resembled that of Miles Davis, as often Baker played very soft and with a limited range. In 1953, Baker was given DownBeat’s Rising Star Award and topped many critic polls for the next two years. Baker left Mulligan to start a solo career and began touring both the United States and Europe during the late 1950s. He was unable to escape his drug problems and was jailed for a drug-related offense.
Baker moved to Italy after his personal life got seemingly out of hand in the United States. However, Baker was involved with several drug-smuggling schemes in Germany, Italy, England, and France and was forced to return to the United States in 1964. Baker attempted to get his professional career back on track by recording several albums that included saxophonist George Coleman and pianist Kirk Lightsey. These records included Lonely Star (1965, Prestige) and On a Misty Night (1965, Prestige). Neither critics nor fans