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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZDeFRANCO, Buddy(b Boniface Ferdinand Leonard De Franco, 17 February 1923, Camden NJ; d 24 December 2014, Panama City FL)) Clarinet. Began studying at twleve; with Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Boyd Raeburn, Dorsey again '40s; Count Basie septet '50; own big band, then quartet early '50s; settled on West Coast '55. He was reluctant to tour, while the clarinet had become unfashionable in any case: as a modernist on that instrument he never had the fame he deserved except among other musicians and diehard fans. The Complete Verve Recordings Of The Buddy DeFranco Quartet/Quintet With Sonny Clark 1954-55 on Mosaic was a delight, with the superb pianist Clark, Gene Wright on bass, Bobby White on drums, and on the last sessions in August '55 Tal Farlow added on guitar, with Clark playing organ on some tracks. De Franco recorded with Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson in the early '50s; played Nelson Riddle's Cross-Country Suite with the composer at Hollywood Bowl and on the Dot recording '59. Own first records on Capitol '49, MGM '51-3, GNP and Norgran '53-5; many albums on Verve with big and small groups, top jazz co- stars from Norman Granz stable '57-9; big band on Advance Guard label '59 recorded in Albuquerque, NM; four small group LPs on Mercury '61-4; about 25 LPs by '64 included Blues Bag session on Vee-Jay that year with Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Victor Feldman, Art Blakey, Victor Sproles on bass (b 18 November 1927, Chicago; has recorded with Ira Sullivan on Delmark, Sun Ra on Saturn, many others), Freddy Hill on trumpet (b 18 April 1932, Jacksonville FL; in same college band as Nat and Cannonball Adderley). Then with big band at Glen Island Casino on RCA '67, and there were quintet/quartet LPs on various small labels: Free Sail '74, Boronquin '75, Like Someone In Love and Waterbed '77; Love Affair With A Clarinet '77 is a duo with guitarist Jim Gillis on a set of ten etudes; Jazz Party/First Time Together with Terry Gibbs quintet on Palo Alto '81; live duo with Gibbs Chicago Fire '87 on Contemporary. The Liveliest on Hep UK was recorded with local musicians in Argentina '80; Groovin' on Hep is a quintet that toured UK '85; You Must Believe In Spring '96 on Concord was a welcome return in a duo with pianist Dave McKenna. |