Sahib Shihab | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Edmund Gregory |
| Born | (1925-06-23)June 23, 1925 Savannah,Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | October 24, 1989(1989-10-24) (aged 64) Nashville,Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician,saxophonist,flutist |
| Instrument(s) | Baritone, soprano and alto saxophone,Flute and alto flute |
| Years active | 1940s–1980s |
Sahib Shihab (bornEdmund Gregory; June 23, 1925 – October 24, 1989) was an Americanjazz andhard bop saxophonist (baritone, alto, and soprano) and flautist. He variously worked withLuther Henderson,Thelonious Monk,Fletcher Henderson,Tadd Dameron,Dizzy Gillespie,Kenny Clarke,John Coltrane andQuincy Jones among others.[1]
He was born inSavannah, Georgia, United States.[2] Edmund Gregory first playedalto saxophone professionally forLuther Henderson aged 13,[3] and studied at theBoston Conservatory,[4] and to perform with trumpeterRoy Eldridge.[2] He played lead alto withFletcher Henderson in the mid-1940s.[2]
He was one of the first jazz musicians to convert toIslam and changed his name in 1947.[2] He belonged to theAhmadiyya sect of Islam.[5] During the late 1940s, Shihab played withThelonious Monk,[2] and on July 23, 1951 he recorded with Monk (later issued on the albumGenius of Modern Music: Volume 2).[6] During this period, he also appeared on recordings byArt Blakey,Kenny Dorham andBenny Golson.[2] The invitation to play withDizzy Gillespie's big band in the early 1950s was of particular significance, as it marked Shihab's switch tobaritone.[2]
On August 12, 1958, Shihab was one of the musicians photographed byArt Kane in his photograph known as "A Great Day in Harlem". In 1959, he toured Europe withQuincy Jones.[2] Shihab, disillusioned with racial politics in United States, decided around this time to move to Europe. He settled inScandinavia, first inStockholm, Sweden, then moving in 1964 toCopenhagen, Denmark.[4] He worked forCopenhagen Polytechnic and wrote scores for television, cinema and theatre. He wrote a ballet based on the Danish writerHans Christian Andersen's fairy tale,The Red Shoes.[2]
In Denmark, Shihab performed with local musicians such as the bass playerNiels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen amongst others. Together with pianistKenny Drew, he ran a publishing firm and record company.
In 1961, he joined theKenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band and remained a member of the band for the 12 years it existed.[2] He married a Danish woman and raised a family in Europe.
In theEurovision Song Contest 1966, Shihab accompaniedLill Lindfors andSvante Thuresson on stage for theSwedish entry "Nygammal Vals".
In 1973, Shihab returned to the United States for a three-year stay, working as a session musician for rock and pop artists and working as a copyist for local musicians. He spent his remaining years between New York and Copenhagen, and played in a partnership withArt Farmer.[7] He also led his own jazz combo called Dues.
From 1986, Shihab was a visiting artist atRutgers University.[8]
Shihab died from liver cancer on October 24, 1989, inNashville, Tennessee, United States, aged 64.[1]
WithArt Blakey
WithBrass Fever
WithDonald Byrd
WithBetty Carter
With theKenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
WithJohn Coltrane
WithTadd Dameron
WithArt Farmer
WithCurtis Fuller andHampton Hawes
WithDizzy Gillespie
WithBenny Golson
WithJohnny Griffin
WithGeorge Gruntz
WithRoy Haynes
WithMilt Jackson
WithPhilly Joe Jones
WithQuincy Jones
WithAbbey Lincoln
WithHoward McGhee
WithThelonious Monk
WithMark Murphy
WithOscar Pettiford
WithSpecs Powell
WithA. K. Salim
WithTony Scott
WithMal Waldron
WithJulius Watkins andCharlie Rouse
WithRandy Weston
WithGene Quill,Hal Stein andPhil Woods
WithPhil Woods
WithIdrees Sulieman
