Pee Wee Ellis
| Pee Wee Ellis | |
|---|---|
Ellis in Milan, 2007.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alfred Bryant |
| Also known as | Pee Wee Ellis |
| Born |
April 21, 1941 Bradenton, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Funk, soul, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Saxophonist, composer, arranger |
| Instruments | tenor, soprano, alto and baritone saxophones, keyboards and flute |
| Years active | 1954–present |
| Labels | Skip Records, Minor Music, Gramavision |
| Associated acts | James Brown, Van Morrison Ginger Baker's Jazz Confusion |
Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis (born April 21, 1941) is an American saxophonist, composer and arranger. He was an important member of James Brown's band in the 1960s, appearing on many of Brown's most notable recordings and co-writing hits like "Cold Sweat" and "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". He also worked closely with Van Morrison.
In the 2014 biographical movie Get on Up about James Brown, Ellis is played by Tariq Trotter (Black Thought, MC from the Roots).
In later years, he became a resident of England, living in the town of Frome in the county of Somerset.
Ellis was born Alfred Bryant on April 21, 1941 in Bradenton, Florida to his mother Elizabeth and his father Garfield Devoe Rogers, Jr. In 1949 his mother married Ezell Ellis, and the family moved to Lubbock, Texas where Ellis was given his nickname "Pee Wee". He gave his first public performance in 1954 at Dunbar Junior High School. After Ezell Ellis was killed in 1955, the remaining members of the family moved to Rochester, New York. While attending Madison High School he played professionally with jazz musicians including Ron Carter and Chuck Mangione. In 1957 he moved to New York City, where he attended Manhattan School of Music and had regular lessons with Sonny Rollins. In 1960 he moved back to Florida working as a bandleader, musical director and writer.
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