Jimmy Giuffre
| Jimmy Giuffre | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Peter Giuffre |
| Born |
April 26, 1921 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 24, 2008 (aged 86) Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, West Coast jazz, cool jazz, folk jazz, chamber jazz, third stream, free jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger |
| Instruments | Clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone |
| Years active | 1940s – 90s |
| Labels | Capitol, Atlantic, Verve, Choice, Soul Note, CELP |
| Associated acts | Lighthouse All-Stars, Shelly Manne, Shorty Rogers, Bob Brookmeyer, Lee Konitz, Modern Jazz Quartet, Herb Ellis, Jim Hall, Paul Bley, Steve Swallow |
James Peter "Jimmy" Giuffre (/ˈdʒuːfri/, Italian pronunciation: [dʒufˈfrɛ]; April 26, 1921 – April 24, 2008) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He is notable for his development of forms of jazz which allowed for free interplay between the musicians, anticipating forms of free improvisation.
Born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Joseph Francis Giuffre, an Italian immigrant from Termini Imerese Palermo Province, Sicilian Italian ancestry and Everet McDaniel, Giuffre was a graduate of Dallas Technical High School and North Texas State Teachers College (University of North Texas College of Music). He first became known as an arranger for Woody Herman's big band, for which he wrote "Four Brothers" (1947). He would continue to write creative, unusual arrangements throughout his career. He was a central figure in West Coast jazz and cool jazz. He became a member of Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars in 1951 as a full-time All Star along with Shorty Rogers and Shelly Manne. The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California became the focal point of West Coast jazz in the 1952/1953 time period. It was during this time when he collaborated with Rogers on many of the successful charts written for the All Stars. The first recording released by the Lighthouse All Stars was a not so West Coast jazz chart named "Big Boy" which he and Rogers had put together. It was an instant hit in Los Angeles. He left the band in September 1953 and became a member of Shorty Rogers and His Giants before going solo. At this point in his career, Giuffre predominantly played tenor and baritone saxophone.
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