Buddy Tate

[mfox]

anyone like this guy.. i only have one of his albums and i have to listen to it at least once a week. its just so good...the album is "TATE LIVE" there is such a great version of shiny stockings on it..

 

[Pete Thomas]

I saw him play once.

Yes I like his playing.

 

[saxismyaxe]

Ditto.

 

[rhysonsax]

Used to go and see BT with Al Grey (also of the Basie band) at the Pizza Express in Soho in the 80s. Must have seen him about five times and he was great. I remember chatting to him a bit and he was a true gent.

I think he had a great, tough tone on tenor, slightly unusual. Possibly because he didn't play a Selmer. I think he played a Martin with a Berg Larsen mouthpiece.

He made a couple of really good albums with Scott Hamilton when SH was an up-coming youngster and you can hear BT pushing him on to greater heights. I don't know whether they have ever made it onto CD, but they were called "Scott's Buddy" and "Back to Back".

Another few good albums that BT featured on:

"Crazy Legs and Friday Strut" with Jay McShann
"Midnight Slows" with Milt Buckner on organ (listen to the extended blues "When I'm Blue")
"Buddy Tate and his Buddies" with people like Roy Eldridge, Mary Lou Williams, Illinois Jacquet

He also did some nice albums with Humphrey Lyttleton and I just found one that he autographed for me - probably 20 years since I listened to that.

I think BT also featured on a lot of jam session albums organised by Buck Clayton and then there are all those Basie recordings.

All the best

Rhys

 

[mfox]

nice info rhys.. thanks

 

[Bobby G]

Nice info indeed rhys - words like 'organ', and 'Roy Eldridge' spark my interest. The CD shelves at David's Music in Letchworth are due for another pounding soon 😉

Cheers, Bob