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| years_active = 1938–1974
| years_active = 1938–1974
| label = [[RCA Victor]], [[Impulse! Records|Impulse!]], Riviera, [[Black Lion Records|Black Lion]]
| label = [[RCA Victor]], [[Impulse! Records|Impulse!]], Riviera, [[Black Lion Records|Black Lion]]
| associated_acts = [[Phil Edmund]], [[Sabby Lewis]], [[Count Basie]], [[Dizzy Gillespie]], [[Duke Ellington]]
| past_member_of = [[Sabby Lewis]], [[Count Basie]], [[Dizzy Gillespie]], [[Duke Ellington]]
}}
}}


'''Paul Gonsalves''' ({{birth date|1920|7|12}} – {{death date |1974|5|15}}) was an American [[jazz]] [[saxophone|tenor saxophonist]]<ref>[http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=7099 "Paul Gonsalves", Allaboutjazz.com.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915200413/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=7099 |date=September 15, 2009 }}</ref> best known for his association with [[Duke Ellington]]. At the 1956 [[Newport Jazz Festival]], Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's "[[Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue]],"<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p6589/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic biography]</ref> a performance credited with revitalizing Ellington's waning career in the 1950s.<ref>Larson, Thomas E. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kfFgNABSuuUC&pg=PA106&dq=%22Paul+Gonsalves%22++died+OR+death+OR+dead&lr=&cd=32#v=onepage&q=%22Paul%20Gonsalves%22%20died%20OR%20death%20OR%20dead&f=false ''The History and Tradition of Jazz'', p. 106.] Google Books.</ref>
'''Paul Gonsalves''' ({{birth date|1920|7|12}} – {{death date |1974|5|15}}) was an American [[jazz]] [[saxophone|tenor saxophonist]]<ref>[http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=7099 "Paul Gonsalves", Allaboutjazz.com.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915200413/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=7099 |date=September 15, 2009 }}</ref> best known for his association with [[Duke Ellington]]. At the 1956 [[Newport Jazz Festival]], Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's "[[Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue]],"<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p6589/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic biography]</ref> a performance credited with revitalizing Ellington's waning career in the 1950s.<ref>Larson, Thomas E. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kfFgNABSuuUC&q=%22Paul+Gonsalves%22+died+OR+death+OR+dead&pg=PA106 ''The History and Tradition of Jazz'', p. 106.] Google Books.</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Born in [[Brockton, Massachusetts|Brockton]], Massachusetts, to [[Cape Verde]]an parents, Gonsalves' first instrument was the guitar, and as a child he was regularly asked to play Cape Verdean folk songs for his family. He grew up in [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]], and played as a member of the [[Sabby Lewis]] Orchestra.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=994}}</ref> His first professional engagement in [[Boston]] was with the same group on [[tenor saxophone]], in which he played before and after his military service during [[World War II]].<ref>[[Carr, Ian]] and [[Digby Fairweather]], [[Brian Priestley]][https://books.google.com/books?id=I5wrGL-a-Q8C&pg=RA5-PT106&dq=%22Paul+Gonsalves%22++died+OR+death+OR+dead&lr=&cd=46#v=onepage&q=Gonsalves&f=false ''The Rough Guide to Jazz''.] Google Books.</ref> Before joining Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1950, he also played in big bands led by [[Count Basie]] (1947–1949) and [[Dizzy Gillespie]] (1949–1950).<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
Born in [[Brockton, Massachusetts|Brockton]], Massachusetts, to Portuguese [[Cape Verde|Cape Verdean]] parents, Gonsalves' first instrument was the guitar, and as a child he was regularly asked to play Cape Verdean folk songs for his family. He grew up in [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]], and played as a member of the [[Sabby Lewis]] Orchestra.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=994}}</ref> His first professional engagement in [[Boston]] was with the same group on [[tenor saxophone]], in which he played before and after his military service during [[World War II]].<ref>[[Carr, Ian]] and [[Digby Fairweather]], [[Brian Priestley]][https://books.google.com/books?id=I5wrGL-a-Q8C&q=Gonsalves&pg=RA5-PT106 ''The Rough Guide to Jazz''.] Google Books.</ref> He also played with fellow Cape Verdean Americans in [[Phil Edmund]]'s band in the 1940s.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Morton|first=John Fass|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MaHTQu65gzcC&q=edmund|title=Backstory in Blue: Ellington at Newport '56|date=2008|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=978-0-8135-4282-9|pages=137, 140|language=en}}</ref> Before joining Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1950, he also played in big bands led by [[Count Basie]] (1947–1949) and [[Dizzy Gillespie]] (1949–1950).<ref name="LarkinGE"/>


At the 1956 [[Newport Jazz Festival]], Gonsalves' solo in Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" went through 27 choruses; the publicity from this performance is credited with reviving Ellington's career.<ref name="LarkinGE"/><ref>Martin, Henry and Keith Waters [https://books.google.com/books?id=kuz4EHH05I4C&pg=PT179&dq=%22Paul+Gonsalves%22++died+OR+death+OR+dead&lr=&cd=73#v=onepage&q=%22Paul%20Gonsalves%22%20died%20OR%20death%20OR%20dead&f=false ''Jazz: the first 100 years'', Cengage Learning, p. 150.] Google Books.</ref> The performance is captured on the album ''[[Ellington at Newport]]''. Gonsalves was a featured soloist in numerous Ellingtonian settings.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He received the nickname "The Strolling Violins" from Ellington for playing solos while walking through the crowd.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PF4xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M3MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7162,2044447&dq=paul-gonsalves+died+%7C+death+%7C+dead&hl=en "Paul Gonsalves, Ellington band saxophonist," May 18, 1974.] ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]''</ref>
At the 1956 [[Newport Jazz Festival]], Gonsalves' solo in Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" went through 27 choruses; the publicity from this performance is credited with reviving Ellington's career.<ref name="LarkinGE"/><ref>Martin, Henry and Keith Waters [https://books.google.com/books?id=kuz4EHH05I4C&q=%22Paul+Gonsalves%22+died+OR+death+OR+dead&pg=PT179 ''Jazz: the first 100 years'', Cengage Learning, p. 150.] Google Books.</ref> The performance is captured on the album ''[[Ellington at Newport]]''. Gonsalves was a featured soloist in numerous Ellingtonian settings.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He received the nickname "The Strolling Violins" from Ellington for playing solos while walking through the crowd.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PF4xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M3MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7162,2044447&dq=paul-gonsalves+died+%7C+death+%7C+dead&hl=en "Paul Gonsalves, Ellington band saxophonist," May 18, 1974.] ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]''</ref>


Gonsalves died in London a few days before Duke Ellington's death, after a lifetime of addiction to alcohol and narcotics.<ref name="LarkinGE"/><ref>''Downbeat'' magazine, March 16, 1961, page 11, reports "Ellingtonians arrested in Vegas" "Ray Nance, Willie Cook. Andrew (Fats) Ford as well as Paul Gonsalves...the sheriff's squad seized...heroin plus hypodermic needles, eye droppers and other paraphernalia of the narcotic user"</ref> [[Mercer Ellington]] refused to tell Duke of the passing of Gonsalves, fearing the shock might further accelerate his father's decline. Ellington and Gonsalves, along with trombonist [[Tyree Glenn]], lay side by side in the same New York funeral home for a period of time.<ref>Hasse, John Edward [https://books.google.com/books?id=kAvP43QuUyEC&pg=PA385&dq=%22Paul+Gonsalves%22++died+OR+death+OR+dead&lr=&cd=2#v=onepage&q=%22Paul%20Gonsalves%22%20died%20OR%20death%20OR%20dead&f=false ''Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington'', Da Capo Press, p. 385.] Google Books.</ref>
Gonsalves died in London ten days before Duke Ellington's death, after a lifetime of addiction to alcohol and narcotics.<ref name="LarkinGE"/><ref>''Downbeat'' magazine, March 16, 1961, page 11, reports "Ellingtonians arrested in Vegas" "Ray Nance, Willie Cook. Andrew (Fats) Ford as well as Paul Gonsalves...the sheriff's squad seized...heroin plus hypodermic needles, eye droppers and other paraphernalia of the narcotic user"</ref> [[Mercer Ellington]] refused to tell Duke of the passing of Gonsalves, fearing the shock might further accelerate his father's decline. Ellington and Gonsalves, along with trombonist [[Tyree Glenn]], lay side by side in the same New York funeral home for a period of time.<ref>Hasse, John Edward [https://books.google.com/books?id=kAvP43QuUyEC&q=%22Paul+Gonsalves%22+died+OR+death+OR+dead&pg=PA385 ''Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington'', Da Capo Press, p. 385.] Google Books.</ref>


Gonsalves is buried at the [[Long Island National Cemetery]] in [[Farmingdale, New York]].
Gonsalves is buried at the [[Long Island National Cemetery]] in [[Farmingdale, New York]].

Paul Gonsalves was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the [[2008 Universal fire]].<ref name="Rosen2">{{cite web |last1=Rosen |first1=Jody |title=Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/magazine/universal-music-fire-bands-list-umg.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=June 28, 2019 |date=June 25, 2019}}</ref>


== Discography ==
== Discography ==
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* ''[[Tenor Stuff]]'' (1961, [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]) – with [[Harold Ashby]]
* ''[[Tenor Stuff]]'' (1961, [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]) – with [[Harold Ashby]]
* ''[[Tell It the Way It Is!]]'' (1963, [[Impulse! Records|Impulse]])
* ''[[Tell It the Way It Is!]]'' (1963, [[Impulse! Records|Impulse]])
* ''[[Cleopatra Feelin' Jazzy|Cleopatra – Feelin' Jazzy]]'' (1963, Impulse)
* ''[[Cleopatra Feelin' Jazzy]]'' (1963, Impulse)
* ''[[Salt and Pepper (album)|Salt and Pepper]]'' (1963, Impulse) – with [[Sonny Stitt]]
* ''[[Salt and Pepper (album)|Salt and Pepper]]'' (1963, Impulse) – with [[Sonny Stitt]]
* ''[[Rare Paul Gonsalves Sextet in Europe]]'' (1963, Jazz Connoisseur)
* ''[[Rare Paul Gonsalves Sextet in Europe]]'' (1963, Jazz Connoisseur)
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*''[[Hot Summer Dance]]'' (Red Baron, 1960 [1991])
*''[[Hot Summer Dance]]'' (Red Baron, 1960 [1991])
*Live At The Crystal Gardens 1952
*Live At The Crystal Gardens 1952
*Jazz Party in Stereo (Columbia, 1959)
*Harlem 1964
*Harlem 1964
*Ella and Duke at the Côte d’Azur 1966
*Ella and Duke at the Côte d'Azur 1966
*The Far East Suite 1966
*The Far East Suite 1966
*Liederhalle Stuttgart 1967
*Liederhalle Stuttgart 1967
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonsalves, Paul}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonsalves, Paul}}
⚫
[[Category:1920 births]]
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[[Category:Swing saxophonists]]
[[Category:Swing saxophonists]]
[[Category:Bebop saxophonists]]
[[Category:Bebop saxophonists]]
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[[Category:Duke Ellington Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Duke Ellington Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Count Basie Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Count Basie Orchestra members]]
⚫
[[Category:1920 births]]
⚫
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:American musicians of Cape Verdean descent]]
[[Category:American musicians of Cape Verdean descent]]
[[Category:American musicians of Portuguese descent]]
[[Category:Musicians from Brockton, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Musicians from Brockton, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Impulse! Records artists]]
[[Category:Impulse! Records artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American saxophonists]]
[[Category:20th-century saxophonists]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Black Lion Records artists]]
[[Category:Black Lion Records artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:American people of Portuguese descent]]

Latest revision as of 20:23, 7 November 2024

Paul Gonsalves
Background information
Born(1920-07-12)July 12, 1920
Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedMay 15, 1974(1974-05-15) (aged 53)
London, England
GenresJazz, swing, bebop
OccupationMusician
InstrumentTenor saxophone
Years active1938–1974
LabelsRCA Victor, Impulse!, Riviera, Black Lion
Formerly ofSabby Lewis, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington

Paul Gonsalves ((1920-07-12)July 12, 1920 – (1974-05-15)May 15, 1974) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist[1] best known for his association with Duke Ellington. At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue,"[2] a performance credited with revitalizing Ellington's waning career in the 1950s.[3]

Biography

[edit]

Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, to Portuguese Cape Verdean parents, Gonsalves' first instrument was the guitar, and as a child he was regularly asked to play Cape Verdean folk songs for his family. He grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and played as a member of the Sabby Lewis Orchestra.[4] His first professional engagement in Boston was with the same group on tenor saxophone, in which he played before and after his military service during World War II.[5] He also played with fellow Cape Verdean Americans in Phil Edmund's band in the 1940s.[6] Before joining Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1950, he also played in big bands led by Count Basie (1947–1949) and Dizzy Gillespie (1949–1950).[4]

At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, Gonsalves' solo in Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" went through 27 choruses; the publicity from this performance is credited with reviving Ellington's career.[4][7] The performance is captured on the album Ellington at Newport. Gonsalves was a featured soloist in numerous Ellingtonian settings.[4] He received the nickname "The Strolling Violins" from Ellington for playing solos while walking through the crowd.[8]

Gonsalves died in London ten days before Duke Ellington's death, after a lifetime of addiction to alcohol and narcotics.[4][9] Mercer Ellington refused to tell Duke of the passing of Gonsalves, fearing the shock might further accelerate his father's decline. Ellington and Gonsalves, along with trombonist Tyree Glenn, lay side by side in the same New York funeral home for a period of time.[10]

Gonsalves is buried at the Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.

Discography

[edit]

As leader/co-leader

[edit]

As sideman

[edit]

With Duke Ellington

Main article: Duke Ellington discography

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

With Johnny Hodges

With John Lewis

With Billy Taylor

With Clark Terry

With Jimmy Woode

With Joya Sherrill

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Paul Gonsalves", Allaboutjazz.com. Archived September 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Allmusic biography
  3. ^ Larson, Thomas E. The History and Tradition of Jazz, p. 106. Google Books.
  4. ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 994. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  5. ^ Carr, Ian and Digby Fairweather, Brian PriestleyThe Rough Guide to Jazz. Google Books.
  6. ^ Morton, John Fass (2008). Backstory in Blue: Ellington at Newport '56. Rutgers University Press. pp. 137, 140. ISBN 978-0-8135-4282-9.
  7. ^ Martin, Henry and Keith Waters Jazz: the first 100 years, Cengage Learning, p. 150. Google Books.
  8. ^ "Paul Gonsalves, Ellington band saxophonist," May 18, 1974. St. Petersburg Times
  9. ^ Downbeat magazine, March 16, 1961, page 11, reports "Ellingtonians arrested in Vegas" "Ray Nance, Willie Cook. Andrew (Fats) Ford as well as Paul Gonsalves...the sheriff's squad seized...heroin plus hypodermic needles, eye droppers and other paraphernalia of the narcotic user"
  10. ^ Hasse, John Edward Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington, Da Capo Press, p. 385. Google Books.
[edit]
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