Prince Lasha
| Prince Lasha | |
|---|---|
Prince Lasha and Wanda Sabir
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Lawsha |
| Born |
September 10, 1929 Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Died | December 12, 2008 (aged 79) Oakland, California, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, free jazz, avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, alto flute, piccolo |
| Associated acts | Sonny Simmons, Eric Dolphy, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison |
William B. Lawsha, better known as Prince Lasha (pronounced "La-shay"), (September 10, 1929 – December 12, 2008) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist.
He was born in Fort Worth, Texas, where he came of age studying and performing alongside fellow I.M. Terrell High School students John Carter, Ornette Coleman, King Curtis, Charles Moffett, and Dewey Redman.
Lasha moved to California during the 1950s. In the 1960s, he was active in the burgeoning free jazz movement, of which his Fort Worth cohort Ornette Coleman was a pioneer. Lasha appeared on recordings with Eric Dolphy (Iron Man and Conversations, both in 1963) and the Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison Sextet featuring McCoy Tyner (Illumination! in 1964).
Lasha moved to Europe and in 1966 was based in Kensington, London, The album Insight (1966) by the Prince Lasha Ensemble was recorded in England and featured local musicians, including Bruce Cale, Dave Willis, Jeff Clyne, Rick Laird, Joe Oliver (drums), David Snell (harp), Mike Carr, Stan Tracey, John Mumford (trombone) and Chris Bateson (trumpet).
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