Grachan Moncur III is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trombonist who has mostly played
free jazzFree jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
, as well as being a prolific composer. He is the son of jazz
bassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Grachan Moncur II and the nephew of jazz saxophonist
Al CooperAl Cooper wasa saxophonist, clarinetist and bandleader.He founded the Savoy Sultans and was their leader from 1937 to 1946.He also played at the 101 Club on Lenox Avenue in New York andother places.- Al Cooper - 1938-1941 CD :...
.
Biography
Born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and raised in
Newark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, Moncur began playing the
celloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
at age nine, and switched to the
tromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
at eleven. In high school he attended the
Laurinburg InstituteLaurinburg Institute is a traditionally black preparatory school in Laurinburg, North Carolina. The school was started in 1904 by Emmanuel Monty and Tinny McDuffie at the request of Booker T. Washington....
in
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, the private school where
Dizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
had studied. While still in school he began sitting in with touring jazz musicians on their way through town, such as
Art BlakeyArthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
and
Jackie McLeanJohn Lenwood McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.-Biography:McLean's father, John Sr., played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra...
, with whom he formed a lasting friendship.
After high school he toured with
Ray CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
(1959–1962),
Art FarmerArthur Stewart "Art" Farmer was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet/flugelhorn combination designed for him by David Monette. His identical twin brother, Addison Farmer Arthur Stewart "Art" Farmer (August 21, 1928, Council Bluffs, Iowa –...
's and
Benny GolsonBenny Golson is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger.-Biography:While in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Golson played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, and...
's Jazztet (1962), and
Sonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
. He took part in two classic
Jackie McLeanJohn Lenwood McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.-Biography:McLean's father, John Sr., played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra...
albums in the early 1960s,
One Step Beyond and
Destination Out, to which he also contributed the bulk of compositions and which led to two influential albums of his own for
Blue Note RecordsBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
,
Evolution (1963) with
Jackie McLeanJohn Lenwood McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.-Biography:McLean's father, John Sr., played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra...
and
Lee MorganEdward Lee Morgan was an American hard bop trumpeter.-Biography:...
, and
Some Other Stuff (1964) with
Herbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
and
Wayne ShorterWayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
.
Moncur joined
Archie SheppArchie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
's ensemble and recorded with other
avant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
players such as
Marion BrownMarion Brown was a jazz alto saxophonist and ethnomusicologist. He is most well known as a member of the 1960s avant-garde jazz scene in New York City, playing alongside musicians such as John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and John Tchicai...
,
Beaver HarrisWilliam Godvin "Beaver" Harris was an American jazz drummer, who worked extensively with Archie Shepp.-Biography:...
and
Roswell RuddRoswell Rudd is a Grammy Award-nominated American jazz trombonist and composer....
(the other big name in
free jazzFree jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
trombone). During a stay in Paris in the summer of 1969, he recorded two albums as a leader for the famous
BYG ActuelBYG Actuel was a French record label specializing in free jazz. The label also released a small number of non-jazz recordings by artists such as Musica Elettronica Viva, Freedom and Gong.-History:...
label,
New Africa and
Aco Dei de Madrugada, as well as appearing as a sideman on numerous other releases of the label. In 1974, the
Jazz Composer's OrchestraJazz Composer's Orchestra was an American jazz group founded in 1965, to further avant-garde jazz in New York. Carla Bley and Michael Mantler were important in its organization and style....
commissioned him to write
Echoes of Prayer (1974), a jazz symphony featuring a full orchestra plus vocalists and jazz soloists. His sixth album as a leader,
Shadows (1977) was released only in Japan. Unfortunately, he was subsequently plagued by health problems and copyright disputes and recorded only rarely. Through the 1980s he recorded with
Cassandra WilsonCassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack [who has] expanded the playing field" by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her...
(1985), played occasionally with the Paris Reunion Band and
Frank LoweFrank Lowe was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer.Born and brought up in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowe took up the tenor saxophone and then moved to San Francisco...
, appeared on
John PattonJohn Patton , sometimes nicknamed Big John Patton, was a hard bop and soul jazz organist....
's
Soul Connection (1983), but mostly concentrated on teaching. In 2004 he re-emerged with a new album (
Exploration) on Capri Records featuring Grachan's compositions arranged by
Mark MastersMark Masters is the president and CEO of Talk Radio Network and its subsidiaries.-References:...
for an
octetIn music, an octet is a musical ensemble consisting of eight instruments or voices, or a musical composition written for such an ensemble.-Octets in classical music:Octets in classical music are one of the largest groupings of chamber music...
including
Tim HagansTim Hagans is a jazz trumpeter and composer.He has been nominated for Grammys for Best Instrumental Composition for "Box of Cannoli" from The Avatar Session ; and Best Contemporary Jazz CD for Animation*Imagination and Re-Animation .He grew up in Dayton, Ohio...
and
Gary BartzGary Bartz is an American alto and soprano saxophonist and clarinetist.Bartz graduated from the Baltimore City College high school and The Juilliard School...
.
As a leader
- Evolution
Evolution is the debut album by American trombonist Grachan Moncur III recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 4½ stars and stated "With such an inventive debut, it's a shame Moncur didn't record more as a leader, which...
(Blue Note, 1963)
- Some Other Stuff
Some Other Stuff is the second album by American trombonist Grachan Moncur III recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label in 1965. It was remastered by Rudy Van Gelder in 2008 and reissued on CD.-Reception:...
(Blue Note, 1964)
- New Africa (BYG Actuel, 1969)
- Aco Dei de Madrugada (One Morning I Waked Up Very Early) (BYG Actuel, 1969)
- Echoes of Prayer (JCOA, 1974)
- Shadows (Denon, 1977)
- Exploration (Capri, 2004)
- Inner Cry Blues (Lunar Module, 2007)
As a sideman
with
Marion BrownMarion Brown was a jazz alto saxophonist and ethnomusicologist. He is most well known as a member of the 1960s avant-garde jazz scene in New York City, playing alongside musicians such as John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and John Tchicai...
:
- Juba-Lee (Fontana, 1966)
- Three for Shepp
Three for Shepp is the debut album by American saxophonist Marion Brown featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1967)
with
Dave BurrellDavis Burrell is an American jazz instrumentalist, most notably on the piano. He has worked for many jazz musicians including Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown and David Murray.- Biography :...
:
- Echo
Echo is a studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was recorded on August 13, 1969 and first released as an LP album by BYG Actuel...
(BYG Actuel, 1969)
- La Vie de Bohème
La Vie de Bohème is a studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. The album is Burrell's take on the operatic adaptation of La Vie de Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, titled La bohème...
(BYG Actuel, 1970)
with The Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet:
- Here and Now (Mercury, 1962)
- Another Git Together (Mercury, 1962)
with
Benny GolsonBenny Golson is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger.-Biography:While in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Golson played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, and...
:
- Pop + Jazz = Swing (Audio Fidelity, 1962)
- Stockholm Sojourn (Prestige, 1965)
- Just Jazz (Audio Fidelity, 1965)
with
Herbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
:
- My Point of View
My Point of View is the second album by pianist Herbie Hancock. It was released in 1963 on Blue Note Records as BLP 4126 and BST 84126.-Track listing:All compositions by Herbie Hancock.#"Blind Man, Blind Man" – 8:19#"A Tribute to Someone" – 8:45...
(Blue Note, 1963)
with
Beaver HarrisWilliam Godvin "Beaver" Harris was an American jazz drummer, who worked extensively with Archie Shepp.-Biography:...
:
- Safe (Red, 1979)
- Beautiful Africa (Soul Note, 1979)
- Live at Nyon (Cadence Jazz, 1981)
with
Joe HendersonJoe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than forty years Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note.-Early life:From a very large family with five sisters and nine...
:
- The Kicker
The Kicker is the first album by jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson released on the Milestone label. It was recorded on August 10, 1967 with one track coming from a later session on September 27 and features performances by Henderson with Mike Lawrence, Grachan Moncur III, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter and...
(Milestone, 1967)
with
Khan Jamal:
- Black Awareness (CIMP, 2005)
with
Frank LoweFrank Lowe was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer.Born and brought up in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowe took up the tenor saxophone and then moved to San Francisco...
:
- Decision in Paradise (Soul Note, 1985)
with
Jackie McLeanJohn Lenwood McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.-Biography:McLean's father, John Sr., played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra...
:
- One Step Beyond
One Step Beyond is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note label. The CD contains one alternate take as a bonus track.-Reception:...
(Blue Note, 1963)
- Destination... Out!
Destination... Out! is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 5 stars and stated "Of all of McLean's Blue Note dates, so many of which are classic jazz recordings, Destination...
(Blue Note, 1964)
- 'Bout Soul
Bout Soul is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1967 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album 4 stars and stated "This is intensely cerebral music that is nevertheless played with a fiery passion....
(Blue Note, 1967)
- Hipnosis (Blue Note, 1978)
with
Lee MorganEdward Lee Morgan was an American hard bop trumpeter.-Biography:...
:
- The Last Session
The Last Session is the final studio album recorded by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan before his death in 1972. It was released on the Blue Note label and features performances by Morgan, Grachan Moncur III, Bobbi Humphrey, Billy Harper, Harold Mabern, Reggie Workman, Jymie Merritt and Freddie...
(Blue Note, 1971)
with
Butch MorrisLawrence D. "Butch" Morris is an American jazz cornetist, composer and conductor.-Biography:Before his musical career, Morris served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War....
:
- In Touch... but out of Reach (Kharma, 1982)
with
Sunny MurrayJames Marcellus Arthur "Sunny" Murray is one of the pioneers of the free jazz style of drumming.-Biography:...
:
- Hommage to Africa (BYG Actuel, 1969)
with
Sunny MurrayJames Marcellus Arthur "Sunny" Murray is one of the pioneers of the free jazz style of drumming.-Biography:...
,
Khan Jamal and Romulus:
- Change of the Century Orchestra (JAS, 1999)
with Paris Reunion Band:
with
William ParkerWilliam Parker is an American free jazz double bassist, poet and composer.-Biography:Parker was not formally trained as a classical player, though he did study with Jimmy Garrison, Richard Davis, and Wilbur Ware and learned the tradition. Parker is one of few jazz bassists who regularly plays arco...
:
- In Order to Survive (Black Saint, 1995)
with
John PattonJohn Patton , sometimes nicknamed Big John Patton, was a hard bop and soul jazz organist....
:
- Soul Connection
Soul Connection is an album by American organist John Patton recorded in 1983 and released on the Nilva label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 3½ stars and stated "It is the lost gem in his catalog and showcases him in one of the most provocative quintets in his...
(Nilva, 1983)
with The Reunion Legacy Band:
- The Legacy (Early Bird, 1991)
with
Roswell RuddRoswell Rudd is a Grammy Award-nominated American jazz trombonist and composer....
and
Archie SheppArchie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
:
- Live in New York (Verve, 2001)
with
Archie SheppArchie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
:
- Mama Too Tight
Mama Too Tight is an album by Archie Shepp released on Impulse! Records in 1966. The album contains tracks recorded by Shepp, Tommy Turrentine, Grachan Moncur III, Roswell Rudd, Howard Johnson, Perry Robinson, Charlie Haden and Beaver Harris in August 1966. The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek states...
(Impulse!, 1966)
- The Way Ahead
The Way Ahead is a British Second World War drama released in 1944. It stars David Niven and Stanley Holloway and follows a group of civilians who are conscripted into the British Army to fight in North Africa. In the U.S., an edited version was released as The Immortal Battalion.The film was...
(Impulse!, 1968)
- Poem for Malcolm
Poem for Malcolm is a jazz album by Archie Shepp. Recorded only two days after Yasmina, a Black Woman, it again features musicians from the Art Ensemble of Chicago. This time, the tone is resolutely set to avant garde and free jazz, with a political edge in the all but explicit tribute to Malcolm X...
(BYG Actuel, 1969)
- For Losers
For Losers is an album by Archie Shepp released on Impulse! in 1970. The album contains tracks recorded from September 1968 to August 1969 by Shepp with three different ensembles...
(Impulse!, 1970)
- Things Have Got to Change
Things Have Got to Change is an album by avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp released in 1971 on the Impulse! label. The album features performance by Shepp with a large ensemble and vocal choir...
(Impulse!, 1971)
- Live at the Pan-African Festival
Live at the Pan-African Festival is a live recording of Archie Shepp's performance in Algiers on July 29–30, 1969, when his free jazz band was complemented by a section of traditional North-African musicians.-Track listing:All songs arranged by Shepp....
(BYG Actuel, 1971)
- Life at the Donaueschingen Festival (MPS, 1972)
- Kwanza
Kwanza is an album by Archie Shepp released on Impulse! in 1974. The album contains tracks recorded from September 1968 to August 1969 by Shepp with four different ensembles...
(Impulse!, 1974)
- Freedom (JMY, 1991)
with
Wayne ShorterWayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
:
- The All Seeing Eye
The All Seeing Eye is a jazz album by saxophonist Wayne Shorter recorded on October 15, 1965 and released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4219 and BST 84219. The album features performances by Shorter with Freddie Hubbard, Grachan Moncur III, James Spaulding, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Joe...
(Blue Note, 1965)
with
Alan SilvaAlan Silva is an American free jazz double bassist and keyboard player.-Biography:...
:
- Luna Surface (BYG Actuel, 1969)
with
Clifford ThorntonClifford Thornton was an American free jazz trumpeter and trombonist. Born in Philadelphia in 1939, he studied with trumpeter Donald Byrd in the mid-1950s and worked with various players such as tuba player Ray Draper. After a stint in the army, Thornton moved to New York City...
:
- Ketchaoua (BYG Actuel, 1969)
with
Chris WhiteChris White is an American jazz bassist.White was an occasional member of Cecil Taylor's band in the 1950s, credited on the 1959 Love for Sale album...
:
- The Chris White Project (Muse, 1993)
with
Cassandra WilsonCassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack [who has] expanded the playing field" by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her...
:
- Point of View (JMT, 1986)
External links
- http://www.grachanmoncur.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/grachanmoncur
- http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zjmq
- http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=16929