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{{short description|American jazz musician}}
{{Short description|American jazz musician (1931–2020)}}
{{Sources|date=September 2020}}
{{Sources|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ira Sullivan
| name = Ira Sullivan
| image = Rich Matteson, Red Rodney, Ira Sullivan.jpg
| image = Ira Sullivan.jpg
| image_size = 250
| image_size =
| landscape = yes
| landscape = yes
| caption = [[Rich Matteson]], [[Red Rodney]], and Ira Sullivan, Village Jazz Lounge, Walt Disney World
| caption = Sullivan in 2011
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|5|1}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|5|1}}
| birth_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|09|21|1931|5|1}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|09|21|1931|5|1}}
| death_place = [[Miami, Florida]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Miami, Florida]], U.S.
| genre = [[Jazz]]
| genre = [[Jazz]]
| occupation = Musician, composer
| occupation = Musician, composer
| instrument = Trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, saxophone
| instrument = Trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, saxophone
| years_active =
| years_active =
| label =
| label =
| associated_acts = [[Red Rodney]], [[Lin Halliday]]
| associated_acts = [[Red Rodney]], [[Lin Halliday]]
}}
}}


'''Ira Sullivan''' (May 1, 1931 – September 21, 2020) was an American [[jazz]] trumpeter, flugelhornist, flautist, saxophonist, and composer born in [[Washington, D.C.]], United States. An active musician since the 1950s, he often worked with [[Red Rodney]] and [[Lin Halliday]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ira-sullivan-mn0000773481|title=Ira Sullivan &#124; Biography, Albums, Streaming Links|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=January 27, 2020}}</ref>
'''Ira Sullivan''' (May 1, 1931 – September 21, 2020)<ref name="ct2020"/> was an American [[jazz]] trumpeter, [[Flugelhorn|flugelhornist]], [[flautist]], saxophonist, and composer born in [[Washington, D.C.]], United States. An active musician since the 1950s, he often worked with [[Red Rodney]] and [[Lin Halliday]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ira-sullivan-mn0000773481|title=Ira Sullivan &#124; Biography, Albums, Streaming Links|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=January 27, 2020}}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Sullivan was born on May 1, 1931, in Washington, D.C. His father taught him to play the trumpet beginning at age 3{{frac|1|2}}, and his mother taught him saxophone. He played both in 1950s Chicago with such musicians as [[Charlie Parker]], [[Lester Young]], [[Wardell Gray]] and [[Roy Eldridge]], gaining a reputation as a fearsome bebop soloist. After playing briefly with [[Art Blakey]] (1956), and mastering alto and baritone saxophone, Sullivan moved south to Florida and out of the spotlight in the early 1960s. His reluctance to travel limited his opportunities to play with musicians of the first rank, but Sullivan continued to play in the Miami area, often in schools and churches. Contact with local younger players, such as [[Jaco Pastorius]] and [[Pat Metheny]] led to teaching and to a broadening of his own musical roots to include the lessons of [[John Coltrane]]'s music and elements of jazz rock. With the addition of flute and soprano saxophone to his performing range, Sullivan moved to New York and in 1980 formed a quintet with bop trumpeter [[Red Rodney]]. Resisting the temptation to play the music of their youth, Sullivan and Rodney worked on new material and fostered young talent to produce some fresh and stimulating music. Ira and his longtime friend and collaborator Stu Katz, jazz [[pianist]] and [[vibraphonist]], co-led a multi-night performance with Katz at [[Joe Segal]]'s [[The Jazz Showcase]] in [[Chicago]]. A live recording of some of those performances, ''A Family Affair: Live At Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase'', was released in 2011. In 2014, Ira Sullivan performed in concert with jazz vocalist [[Erin McDougald]] for a live-recorded concert at 35th Street Studios which featured pianist-guitarist Rob Block, bassist Kelly Sill and drummer Charles Heath along with multi-reed player Marc Berner. Sullivan taught at the Young Musicians Camp each summer at the [[University of Miami]].
Sullivan was born May 1, 1931, in [[Washington, D.C.]].<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=2414}}</ref> His father taught him to play the trumpet beginning at age 3{{frac|1|2}}, and his mother taught him saxophone. He played in 1950s [[Chicago]] with such musicians as [[Charlie Parker]], [[Lester Young]], [[Wardell Gray]] and [[Roy Eldridge]], gaining a reputation as a fearsome [[bebop]] soloist. After playing briefly with [[Art Blakey]] in 1956, and mastering alto and baritone saxophone, Sullivan moved south to [[Florida]] and out of the spotlight in the early 1960s.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>


His reluctance to travel limited his opportunities to play with musicians of the first rank, but Sullivan continued to play in the [[Miami]] area, often in schools and churches. Contact with local younger players such as [[Jaco Pastorius]] and [[Pat Metheny]] led to teaching and to a broadening of his own musical roots to include the stylings of [[John Coltrane]]'s jazz.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
⚫
Ira Sullivan died on September 21, 2020, of metastatic pancreatic cancer in his Miami home at age 89.<ref name="ct2020">{{Cite news | first=Howard | last=Reich | title=Chicago jazz great Ira Sullivan dies at 89 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/howard-reich/ct-ent-ira-sullivan-obituary-0924-20200923-odjefa2owzegrflmtz2obedelu-story.html | newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] | date={{Date|2020-09-23}} | access-date={{Date|2020-10-03}} }}</ref>


With the addition of flute and soprano saxophone to his performing range, Sullivan moved to [[New York City|New York]], and in 1980 formed a quintet with bop trumpeter [[Red Rodney]]. Sullivan and Rodney worked on new material and fostered young talent.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
⚫
Ira Sullivan's musical signature was "Amazing Grace", the tune with which he closed every performance for decades. In the week following Sullivan's passing, the jazz community produced a Love Letter to Ira Sullivan, a compilation of more than forty performances of "Amazing Grace".<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWaL9gPoNQw&feature=youtu.be</ref>


Sullivan and his longtime friend and collaborator Stu Katz, jazz [[pianist]] and [[vibraphonist]], co-led a multi-night performance with Katz at [[Joe Segal (musician)|Joe Segal]]'s [[The Jazz Showcase]] in Chicago. A live recording of some of those performances, ''A Family Affair: Live At Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase'', was released in 2011.
[[File:WDNA-FM 88.9 Public Radio - Flickr - Knight Foundation (4).jpg|thumb|Sullivan in Miami, Florida in 2011]]

Sullivan taught at the Young Musicians Camp each summer at the [[University of Miami]].{{cn|date=August 2023}}
[[File:Rich Matteson, Red Rodney, Ira Sullivan.jpg|thumb|[[Rich Matteson]], [[Red Rodney]], and Ira Sullivan at the Village Jazz Lounge in [[Walt Disney World]]]]
⚫
Ira Sullivan died September 21, 2020, of [[Metastasis|metastatic]] [[pancreatic cancer]] in his Miami home at age 89.<ref name="ct2020">{{Cite news | first=Howard | last=Reich | title=Chicago jazz great Ira Sullivan dies at 89 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/howard-reich/ct-ent-ira-sullivan-obituary-0924-20200923-odjefa2owzegrflmtz2obedelu-story.html | newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] | date=23 September 2020 | access-date=3 October 2020 }}</ref>

⚫
Ira Sullivan's musical signature was "[[Amazing Grace]]", the tune with which he closed every performance for decades. In the week following Sullivan's death, the jazz community produced a ''Love Letter to Ira Sullivan'', a compilation of more than forty performances of "Amazing Grace".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWaL9gPoNQw&feature=youtu.be] {{dead link|date=October 2021}}</ref>


==Discography==
==Discography==
===As leader/co-leader===
===As leader===
*1958: ''[[Nicky's Tune]]'' ([[Delmark Records|Delmark]], issued 1970)
* ''[[Blue Stroll]]'' (Delmark, 1961)
⚫
* ''[[Bird Lives! (Ira Sullivan album)|Bird Lives!]]'' ([[Vee-Jay Records|Vee-Jay]], 1963)
*1959: ''[[Blue Stroll]]'' (Delmark)
*1962: ''[[Bird Lives! (Ira Sullivan album)|Bird Lives!]]'' ([[Vee-Jay Records|Vee-Jay]])
* ''[[Horizons (Ira Sullivan album)|Horizons]]'' ([[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]], 1967)
*1967: ''[[Horizons (Ira Sullivan album)|Horizons]]'' ([[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]])
* ''[[Nicky's Tune]]'' ([[Delmark Records|Delmark]], 1970)
*1976: ''[[Ira Sullivan (album)|Ira Sullivan]]'' ([[Horizon Records|Horizon]])
* ''[[Ira Sullivan (1976 album)|Ira Sullivan]]'' ([[Horizon Records|Horizon]], 1976)
*1977: ''[[Ira Sullivan (Flying Fish album)|Ira Sullivan]]'' ([[Flying Fish Records|Flying Fish]])
* ''[[Ira Sullivan (Flying Fish album)|Ira Sullivan]]'' ([[Flying Fish Records|Flying Fish]], 1978)
*1978: ''[[Peace (Ira Sullivan album)|Peace]]'' ([[Galaxy Records|Galaxy]]) - released 1979
* ''[[Peace (Ira Sullivan album)|Peace]]'' ([[Galaxy Records|Galaxy]], 1978)
⚫
* ''[[The Incredible Ira Sullivan]]'' ([[Stash Records|Stash]], 1980)
*1978: ''[[Multimedia (album)|Multimedia]]'' (Galaxy) - released 1982
* ''[[Multimedia (album)|Multimedia]]'' (Galaxy, 1982)
⚫
*1980: ''[[The Incredible Ira Sullivan]]'' ([[Stash Records|Stash]])
*1981: ''[[Ira Sullivan Does It All]]'' ([[Muse Records|Muse]])
* ''[[Ira Sullivan Does It All]]'' ([[Muse Records|Muse]], 1983)
* ''[[Strings Attached (Ira Sullivan album)|Strings Attached]]'' ([[Pausa Records|Pausa]], 1983)
*1981: ''[[Spirit Within]]'' ([[Elektra/Musician]]) with [[Red Rodney]]
⚫
* ''[[The Breeze and I]]'' with [[Joe Diorio]] (Ram, 1994)
*1982: ''[[Sprint (album)|Sprint]]'' (Elektra/Musician) with Red Rodney
⚫
* ''After Hours'' (Go Jazz, 2000)
⚫
*1983: ''[[Strings Attached (Ira Sullivan album)|Strings Attached]]'' ([[Pausa Records|Pausa]])
*1986: ''Gulfstream'' (Pausa) with Ted Shumate
* ''A Family Affair'' with Stu Katz (Origin, 2011)
⚫
*1993: ''The Breeze and I'' (Ram) with [[Joe Diorio]]
⚫
*1996: ''After Hours'' (Go Jazz)
*2010: ''A Family Affair'' (Origin) with Stu Katz


===As sideman===
===As sideman===
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* ''[[East of the Sun (Lin Halliday album)|East of the Sun]]'' (Delmark, 1992)
* ''[[East of the Sun (Lin Halliday album)|East of the Sun]]'' (Delmark, 1992)
'''With [[Eddie Harris]]'''
'''With [[Eddie Harris]]'''
* ''[[Come on Down! (album)|Come on Down]]'' (Atlantic, 1970)
* ''[[Come On Down! (Eddie Harris album)|Come on Down]]'' (Atlantic, 1970)
'''With [[Philly Joe Jones]]'''
'''With [[Philly Joe Jones]]'''
*''[[Philly Mignon]]'' (Galaxy, 1977)
*''[[Philly Mignon]]'' (Galaxy, 1977)
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*''[[Alive in New York]]'' (Muse, 1980 [1986])
*''[[Alive in New York]]'' (Muse, 1980 [1986])
*''[[Night and Day (Red Rodney album)|Night and Day]]'' (Muse, 1981)
*''[[Night and Day (Red Rodney album)|Night and Day]]'' (Muse, 1981)
*''Spirit Within'' (Musician,1982)
'''With [[Billy Taylor]]'''
'''With [[Billy Taylor]]'''
* ''The Billy Taylor Trio Introduces Ira Sullivan'' ([[ABC-Paramount]], 1956)
* ''The Billy Taylor Trio Introduces Ira Sullivan'' ([[ABC-Paramount]], 1956)
'''With [[Brad Goode]]'''
* ''Toy Trumpet'' ([[SteepleChase]], 2000)


==References==
==References==
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{{Commonscat}}
{{Commonscat}}
*{{official website|http://irasullivan.com|Ira Sullivan}} – official site
*{{official website|http://irasullivan.com|Ira Sullivan}} – official site
*{{allmusic|class=artist|id=ira-sullivan-mn0000773481}}
*{{discogs artist}}
*{{discogs artist}}
*[http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Sullivan Ira Sullivan] discography at JazzDiscography.com
*[http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Sullivan Ira Sullivan] discography at JazzDiscography.com
*[http://jazztimes.com/articles/19200-ira-sullivan-family-first Ira Sullivan] - Family First (interview)
*[http://jazztimes.com/articles/19200-ira-sullivan-family-first Ira Sullivan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235040/http://jazztimes.com/articles/19200-ira-sullivan-family-first |date=March 3, 2016 }} - Family First (interview)
*[http://namm.org/library/oral-history/ira-sullivan Ira Sullivan Interview] NAMM Oral History Library (2019)
*[http://namm.org/library/oral-history/ira-sullivan Ira Sullivan Interview] NAMM Oral History Library (2019)
*{{imdb name|id=3514355}}
*{{imdb name|id=3514355}}


{{Ira Sullivan}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Florida]]
[[Category:American jazz trumpeters]]
[[Category:American jazz trumpeters]]
[[Category:American male trumpeters]]
[[Category:American male trumpeters]]
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[[Category:Delmark Records artists]]
[[Category:Delmark Records artists]]
[[Category:Galaxy Records artists]]
[[Category:Galaxy Records artists]]
[[Category:21st-century trumpeters]]
[[Category:21st-century American trumpeters]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]

Latest revision as of 21:21, 6 December 2024

Ira Sullivan
Sullivan in 2011
Sullivan in 2011
Background information
Born(1931-05-01)May 1, 1931
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedSeptember 21, 2020(2020-09-21) (aged 89)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s)Trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, saxophone

Ira Sullivan (May 1, 1931 – September 21, 2020)[1] was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, flautist, saxophonist, and composer born in Washington, D.C., United States. An active musician since the 1950s, he often worked with Red Rodney and Lin Halliday.[2]

Biography

[edit]

Sullivan was born May 1, 1931, in Washington, D.C..[3] His father taught him to play the trumpet beginning at age 31⁄2, and his mother taught him saxophone. He played in 1950s Chicago with such musicians as Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Wardell Gray and Roy Eldridge, gaining a reputation as a fearsome bebop soloist. After playing briefly with Art Blakey in 1956, and mastering alto and baritone saxophone, Sullivan moved south to Florida and out of the spotlight in the early 1960s.[3]

His reluctance to travel limited his opportunities to play with musicians of the first rank, but Sullivan continued to play in the Miami area, often in schools and churches. Contact with local younger players such as Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny led to teaching and to a broadening of his own musical roots to include the stylings of John Coltrane's jazz.[3]

With the addition of flute and soprano saxophone to his performing range, Sullivan moved to New York, and in 1980 formed a quintet with bop trumpeter Red Rodney. Sullivan and Rodney worked on new material and fostered young talent.[3]

Sullivan and his longtime friend and collaborator Stu Katz, jazz pianist and vibraphonist, co-led a multi-night performance with Katz at Joe Segal's The Jazz Showcase in Chicago. A live recording of some of those performances, A Family Affair: Live At Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase, was released in 2011.

Sullivan taught at the Young Musicians Camp each summer at the University of Miami.[citation needed]

Rich Matteson, Red Rodney, and Ira Sullivan at the Village Jazz Lounge in Walt Disney World

Ira Sullivan died September 21, 2020, of metastatic pancreatic cancer in his Miami home at age 89.[1]

Ira Sullivan's musical signature was "Amazing Grace", the tune with which he closed every performance for decades. In the week following Sullivan's death, the jazz community produced a Love Letter to Ira Sullivan, a compilation of more than forty performances of "Amazing Grace".[4]

Discography

[edit]

As leader

[edit]

As sideman

[edit]

With Art Blakey

With Frank Catalano

  • Cut It Out (Delmark, 1997)

With Red Garland

With Lin Halliday

With Eddie Harris

With Philly Joe Jones

With Roland Kirk

With Roberto Magris

  • Sun Stone - Roberto Magris Sextet feat. Ira Sullivan (JMood, 2019)

With J. R. Monterose

With Rita Reys

With Red Rodney

With Billy Taylor

  • The Billy Taylor Trio Introduces Ira Sullivan (ABC-Paramount, 1956)

With Brad Goode

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Reich, Howard (September 23, 2020). "Chicago jazz great Ira Sullivan dies at 89". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "Ira Sullivan | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2414. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  4. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ira Sullivan.
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