Jazz
Al Haig Composer, Piano
Benny Harris Composer
Billy Strayhorn Composer
Charlie Parker Composer
Dizzy Gillespie Composer
Duke Ellington Composer
Edward Neyman Composer
Frank Eyton Composer
Frank Gant Drums
Frank Paparelli Composer
J.J. Johnson Composer
Jamil Nasser Bass
JImmy Wormsworth Drums
Johnny Green Composer
Kenny Clarke Composer
Marc Grossl Liner Notes
Pete Leonard Cover Photo
Robert Sour Composer
When the great Charlie Parker picked a young white guy named Al Haig asthe pianist for his quintet in 1946, a lot of people were surprised. However, Haigwas one of the very first pianists to follow the trend started by Bud Powell, andhis technique, style and impeccable taste earned him the right to be in Parker'sgroup. In his last years (he died in 1982) he would make more than a dozen albums. Two of these LPs - both of which were recorded in 1977 - have been compiled here.
Al Haig
Active Decades: '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s
Born: Jul 22, 1922 in Newark, NJ
Died: Nov 16, 1982 in New York, NY
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Bop, Jazz Instrument, Piano Jazz
One of the finest pianists of the bop era (and one who learned from Bud Powell's innovations quite early), Al Haig was quite busy during two periods of his career but unfortunately was pretty obscure in the years between. After serving in the Coast Guard (playing in bands during 1942-1944) and freelancing around Boston, Haig worked steadily with Dizzy Gillespie (1945-1946), Charlie Parker (1948-1950), and Stan Getz (1949-1951); and was on many recordings, mostly as a sideman (including some classic Diz and Bird sessions) but also as a leader for Spotlite, Dawn, and Prestige. However (other than little-known dates in 1954 for Esoteric, Swing, and Period), Haig did not lead any more albums until 1974. He played fairly often during the 1951-1973 period, but was generally overlooked. That changed during his last decade, when he was finally recognized as a bop giant and recorded for Spotlite, Choice, SeaBreeze, Interplay, and several Japanese and European labels.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
