Buddy Tate

George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.

Biography

Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, and began performing on alto saxophone. As a teenager in 1925, he played with his brother and their band called McCloud's Night Owls."

Tate quickly switched to tenor saxophone making a name for himself in bands such as the one led by Andy Kirk. He joined Count Basie in 1939 and stayed with him until 1948. He had been selected by Basie after the sudden death of Herschel Evans, which Tate stated he had predicted in a dream.

After his period with Basie ended, he worked with several other bands before he found success on his own, starting in 1953 in Harlem. His group worked at the "Celebrity Club" from 1953 to 1974. In the late 1970s, he co-led a band with Paul Quinichette and worked with Benny Goodman.

In 1980, he was seriously injured by scalding water in a hotel shower, which kept him inactive for four months. He later suffered from a serious illness. The 1990s saw him slow down, but he remained active playing with Lionel Hampton among others.

In 1992, Tate took part in the documentary, Texas Tenor: The Illinois Jacquet Story. In 1996, he recorded with woodwind artist James Carter on the younger man's second release for Atlantic Records, Conversin' with the Elders, along with trumpeters Harry "Sweets" Edison and Lester Bowie, and saxophonists Hamiet Bluiett and Larry Smith.

Tate lived in New York until 2001 when he moved to Arizona to be cared for by his daughter. He died in Chandler, Arizona, at the age of 87.

Discography

As leader

• Jumpin' on the West Coast (Blue Lion, 1947)
• And His Celebrity Club Orchestra (Black & Blue, 1954)
• Swinging Like Tate (Felsted, 1958)
• The Madison Beat (Harmony, 1959)
• Tate's Date (Swingville, 1960)
• Tate-a-Tate (Swingville, 1960) with Clark Terry
• Buck & Buddy (Swingville, 1960) with Buck Clayton
• Groovin' with Buddy Tate (Swingville, 1961)
• Buck & Buddy Blow the Blues (Swingville, 1961) with Buck Clayton
• And His Celebrity Club Orchestra Vol. 2 (Black & Blue, 1968)
• Unbroken (MPS, 1970)
• Broadway (Black & Blue, 1972)
• Buddy Tate and His Buddies (Chiaroscuro, 1973)
• The Texas Twister (Master Jazz Recordings, 1975)
• Jive at Five (Storyville, 1975)
• Our Bag (Riff, 1975)
• Kansas City Joys (Sonet, 1976)
• Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand (Chiaroscuro, 1977) with Dollar Brand
• Live at Sandy's (Muse, 1978)
• Hard Blowin' (Muse, 1978)
• The Great Buddy Tate (Concord, 1981)
• The Ballad Artistry (Sackville, 1981)
• Just Jazz (Reservoir, 1984)
• Just Friends (Muse, 1990 [1992]) with Nat Simkins and Houston Person

As sideman

With Ray Bryant

• Madison Time (Columbia, 1960)
• Dancing the Big Twist (Columbia, 1961)

With James Carter

• Conversin' with the Elders (Atlantic, 1996)

With Milt Buckner

• Midnight Slows, Volume 1 (Black & Blue, 1973)
• Midnight Slows, Volume 4 (Black & Blue, 1974)
• Midnight Slows, Volume 5 (Black & Blue, 1974)

With Buck Clayton

• Buck Meets Ruby (Vanguard, 1954) with Ruby Braff
• Jumpin' at the Woodside (Columbia, 1955)
• All the Cats Join In (Columbia 1956)
• Songs for Swingers (Columbia, 1958)
• Copenhagen Concert (SteepleChase, 1959 [1979])
• One for Buck (Columbia, 1961)

With Arnett Cobb

• Live at Sandy's! (Muse, 1978)

With Wild Bill Davis

• Midnight Slows, Volume 2 (Black & Blue, 1973)

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

• Very Saxy (Prestige, 1959)

With Roy Eldridge

• Rockin' Chair (Clef, 1951)

With Rex Stewart

• Henderson Homecoming (United Artists, 1959)

With Dicky Wells

• Bones for the King (Felsted, 1958)