Jack Nimitz
Jack Nimitz (January 11, 1930 – June 10, 2009) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist. He was nicknamed "The Admiral".[1]
Jack Nimitz | |
---|---|
Birth name | Jerome Nimitz |
Born | Washington, D.C. | January 11, 1930
Died | June 10, 2009 79) Los Angeles, California | (aged
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Baritone saxophone |
Years active | 1949–1990s |
Career
A native of Washington, D.C., Nimitz started on clarinet in his early teens before playing alto saxophone.[1][2] During the 1950s he played baritone saxophone with Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Herbie Mann.[1] He continued to play in big bands in the 1960s with Terry Gibbs and Gerald Wilson in addition to working in film and leading a quintet.[1] He was a founding member of Supersax in the early 1970s and remained with the band into the 1990s.[1] During the 1980s and 1990s he was a member of big bands led by Oliver Nelson and Bill Berry.[1] He performed in the sextet of Frank Strazzeri and the sextet of Bud Shank in the 1990s.[1] In 1997 he worked with Buddy Childers at the PizzaExpress Jazz Club in London.[1] A studio musician for much of his life, Nimitz recorded his first album as leader in the 1990s.[1][2]
The Jack Nimitz Quintet played its final performance on May 10, 2009, in Northridge, California. Nimitz died in Los Angeles at the age of 79 from complications due to emphysema.[3]
Discography
As leader
- Live at the Royal Palms Inn Volume 8 with Buddy Childers (Woofy, 1994)
- Confirmation (Fresh Sound, 1995)
- Live at Capozzoli's (Woofy Productions, 1997)
As sideman
With Terry Gibbs
- The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band (Verve, 1961)
- Explosion! (Mercury, 1962)
- Flying Home (Volume 3) (Contemporary, 1988)
- The Big Cat (Volume 5) (Contemporary, 1991)
With Woody Herman
- The Woody Herman Band! Part 1 (Capitol, 1954)
- The Woody Herman Band! Part 3 (Capitol, 1954)
- Road Band! (Capitol, 1955)
- The Woody Herman Band! (Capitol, 1955)
- Woody Herman (Metro, 1965)
With Stan Kenton
- Kenton in Hi-Fi (Capitol, 1956)
- Songs for Hip Lovers (Verve, 1957)
- Road Show with June Christy and The Four Freshmen (Capitol, 1959)
- Standards in Silhouette (Verve, 1960)
- Artistry in Bossa Nova (Capitol, 1963)
- Kenton / Wagner (Capitol, 1964)
- Hair (Capitol, 1969)
With Steuart Liebig
- No Train (Cadence, 1997)
- Antipodes (Cadence, 2000)
With Shelly Manne
- My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast (Capitol, 1964)
- Manne–That's Gershwin! (Capitol, 1965)
With Oliver Nelson
- Sound Pieces (Impulse!, 1966)
- Live from Los Angeles (Impulse!, 1967)
- Stolen Moments (East Wind, 1975)
With Lalo Schifrin
- Music from Mission: Impossible (Dot, 1967)
- Mannix (Paramount, 1968)
- Bullitt (Warner Bros., 1968)
With Diane Schuur
- Timeless (GRP, 1986)
- Pure Schuur (GRP, 1991)
- In Tribute (GRP, 1992)
With Bud Shank
- Bud Shank & the Sax Section (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
- New Gold! (Candid, 1994)
- Plays Harold Arlen (Jimco, 1995)
With Supersax
- Supersax Plays Bird (Capitol, 1973)
- Salt Peanuts Supersax Plays Bird, Volume 2 (Capitol, 1974)
- Supersax Plays Bird with Strings (Capitol, 1975)
- Chasin' the Bird (MPS, 1977)
- Dynamite !! (MPS, 1979)
- Supersax & L.A. Voices Volume 2 (CBS, 1984)
- Stone Bird (Columbia, 1988)
With Gerald Wilson
- You Better Believe It! (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
- Moment of Truth (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
- Portraits (Pacific Jazz, 1964)
- On Stage (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
- Feelin' Kinda Blues (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
- The Golden Sword (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
- Lomelin (Discovery, 1981)
- Jessica (Trend, 1983)
- State Street Sweet (MAMA, 1995)
- Theme for Monterey (MAMA, 1997)
With others
- Gene Ammons, Free Again (Prestige, 1971)
- Paul Anka, The Music Man (United Artists, 1977)
- Gabe Baltazar, Stan Kenton Presents Gabe Baltazar (Creative World, 1979)
- The Beach Boys, 15 Big Ones (Reprise, 1976)
- Max Bennett, Max Bennett Vol. II (Bethlehem, 1957)
- Bill Berry, Hot & Happy (Beez Beez 1974)
- Bill Berry, Hello Rev (Concord Jazz, 1976)
- Ralph Burns, In the Mood (Atlantic, 1987)
- Kenny Burrell, Both Feet on the Ground (Fantasy, 1973)
- Frank Capp, In a Hefti Bag (Concord Jazz, 1995)
- Captain & Tennille, Song of Joy (A&M, 1976)
- June Christy, Bob Cooper, Do-Re-Mi (Capitol, 1961)
- June Christy, Big Band Specials (Capitol, 1962)
- Stanley Clarke, School Days (Nemperor, 1976)
- Nat King Cole, L-O-V-E (Capitol, 1965)
- Natalie Cole, Unforgettable with Love (Elektra, 1991)
- Dick Collins, Horn of Plenty (RCA, 1955)
- Dick Collins, King Richard the Swing Hearted (RCA Victor, 1955)
- Judy Collins, Hard Times for Lovers (Elektra, 1979)
- Willis Conover, House of Sounds (Brunswick, 1954)
- Ron Davies, U. F. O. (A&M, 1973)
- Neil Diamond, Beautiful Noise (Columbia, 1976)
- João Donato, A Bad Donato (Blue Thumb, 1970)
- Cass Elliot, Cass Elliot (RCA Victor, 1972)
- Michael Feinstein, Isn't It Romantic (Elektra, 1988)
- Michael Feinstein, Forever (Elektra, 1993)
- Allyn Ferguson, Pictures at an Exhibition (Framed in Jazz Aeva 1963)
- Clare Fischer, Extension (Pacific Jazz, 1963)
- Clare Fischer, Whose Woods Are These? (Discovery, 1984)
- Clare Fischer, Blues Trilogy (Discovery, 1987)
- Gil Fuller, Gil Fuller & the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra featuring Dizzy Gillespie (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
- Urbie Green & Nat Pierce, Old Time Modern (Vanguard, 1973)
- Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Forever Taurus (Milestone, 1976)
- Herbie Hancock, Sunlight (Columbia, 1978)
- Gene Harris, Tribute to Count Basie (Concord Jazz, 1988)
- Johnny Hartman, Unforgettable (Impulse!, 1995)
- Bill Holman, Bill Holman's Great Big Band (Capitol, 1960)
- Richard Holmes, Six Million Dollar Man, (RCA/Flying Dutchman, 1975)
- Shirley Horn, Shirley Horn with Strings Here's to Life (Verve, 1992)
- Milt Jackson, The Impulse Years (ABC/Impulse!, 1974)
- Milt Jackson, Bags' Groove (Quintessence Jazz Series 1979)
- Quincy Jones, This Is How I Feel About Jazz (ABC-Paramount, 1957)
- Quincy Jones, The Color Purple (Qwest, 1986)
- Quincy Jones, Q's Jook Joint (Qwest/Warner Bros., 1995)
- Earl Klugh, Finger Paintings (Blue Note, 1977)
- Peggy Lee, Mirrors (A&M, 1975)
- Vic Lewis, Presents a Celebration of Contemporary West Coast Jazz (Candid, 1994)
- Jon Lucien, Premonition (Columbia, 1976)
- Harvey Mandel, Righteous (Philips, 1969)
- Johnny Mandel, The Jazz Soul of Porgy and Bess (NEC Avenue 1990)
- Herbie Mann, Sultry Serenade (Riverside, 1958)
- Herbie Mann, Let Me Tell You (Milestone, 1973)
- Teena Marie, Emerald City (Epic, 1986)
- Letta Mbulu, There's Music in the Air (A&M, 1977)
- Les McCann, Les McCann Sings (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
- Les McCann, Oh Brother! (Fontana, 1964)
- Jimmy McCracklin, The Stinger Man (Minit, 1969)
- Carmen McRae, Can't Hide Love (Blue Note, 1976)
- Don Menza, Burnin' (M&K Realtime, 1981)
- Charles Mingus, Mingus at Monterey (Jazz Workshop, 1965)
- Sammy Nestico, Dark Orchid (Dark Orchid, 1981)
- Sammy Nestico, Night Flight (Sea Breeze, 1986)
- Anita O'Day, Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter with Billy May (Verve, 1991)
- Charlie Parker, One Night in Washington (Elektra, Musician, 1982)
- Bill Perkins, On Stage (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
- Bill Perkins, Our Man Woody (Jazz Mark, 1991)
- Nat Pierce, Dick Collins, Charlie Mariano, The Nat Pierce-Dick Collins Nonet/the Charlie Mariano Sextet (Fantasy, 1956)
- Prince, Parade (Paisley Park, 1986)
- Boots Randolph, Boots with Brass (Monument, 1970)
- Helen Reddy, Music, Music (Capitol, 1976)
- Rockie Robbins, You and Me (A&M, 1980)
- Diana Ross, Lady Sings the Blues (Motown, 1972)
- Horace Silver, Silver 'N Wood (Blue Note, 1976)
- Frank Sinatra, Duets (Capitol, 1993)
- The Singers Unlimited, Feeling Free (Pausa, 1980)
- O.C. Smith, Together (Caribou, 1977)
- Frank Strazzeri, Somebody Loves Me (Fresh Sound, 1994)
- Toni Tennille, More Than You Know (Mirage, 1984)
- Frankie Valli, Valli (Private Stock 1976)
- Joe Williams, In Good Company (Verve, 1989)
References
- Koch, Lawrence; Kernfeld, Barry (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 3 (2 ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries. p. 156. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
- Yanow, Scott. "Jack Nimitz". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- Ricci, Michael (16 June 2009). "Jack Nimitz Baritone Sax Player Dies". All About Jazz. Retrieved 28 November 2017.