Pee Wee Ellis RIP

[sidewinder]

Sad to report that saxophonist/arranger/bandleader Pee Wee Ellis has just passed away. For many years he has lived here in the UK in the Frome, Somerset area in the SW of England, active in and very supportive of the local scene and will be very much missed. RIP.

Edited September 25, 2021 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

That's sad

I didn't realise he was UK based.  I listened to a lot of his work as MD and arranger for Van Morrison.

[sidewinder]

Yes, Van also has a home in the Frome area I think. Pee Wee was patron of Bristol’s Jazz and Blues Festival and usually put in an appearance with his band.

[JSngry]

One of the unsung architects of Black American Music, the man who translated James Brown. Plus, a pretty damn good tenor player 

RIP and thank you. Beyond that, words fail.

[mjzee]

Interesting how Sonny Rollins was a part of his story: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pee-wee-ellis-obit-dead-1232060/

[Hardbopjazz]

RIP. 

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

A man of wide interests. Even worked with Oumou Sangare.

RIP

[mikeweil]

R.I.P.

Without his participation, many bands and albums would have sounded very different from what they were. 

Will spin this tomorrow in memoriam:

Edited September 26, 2021 by mikeweil

[mhatta]

RIP.

My personal favorite is Blues Mission (1993).  The personnel is nice 'n weird -- Pee Wee is joined by Jack Walrath, Jean Paul Bourelly, Masabumi "Poo" Kikuchi, and Clyde Stubblefield.  And somehow it works.

Also, a duo album with Horace Parlan is touching.  Better than the albums with Archie Shepp, I think.   It also contains Parlan's best work from his later years.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Might have to buy that duet album with Parlan, if I can find it.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

It's somewhere on the web as a DL. Amazon maybe.

MG