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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 ZGRYCE, Gigi(b 28 November 1927, Pensacola FL; d 17 March 1983) Alto sax; also flute, piano, etc; composer, arranger, leader. Studied composition in Boston, gigging in local groups from 1946; he mounted a concert in Hartford with 23 pieces including Horace Silver. He had a scholarship to Paris in 1952; worked with Max Roach and Tadd Dameron in the USA, toured Europe with Lionel Hampton '53, wrote and played for Oscar Pettiford and led own groups including co-led Jazz Lab Quintet '55-8 with Donald Byrd. He arranged record sessions for others including Clifford Brown, Art Farmer, etc. His own records on five Paris concert dates in 1953 with various groups were collected on Vogue, Blue Note, Prestige, etc. One side of Jordu '55 on Savoy (the other by Phil Woods) had trio tracks by Duke Jordan, Oscar Pettiford and Kenny Clarke, Gryce dubbed in later. Other albums included tracks from three '55 dates by a quartet with Percy Heath, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk and by a nine-piece band (with two vocals by Ernestine Anderson) issued on Byg, Signal, Savoy; a Jazz Lab Quintet set '57 was issued on several labels; he played on Monk's Music '57, one of Monk's best; Gigi Gryce Quartet '58 on Metrojazz; quintet sets Sayin' Something, The Hap'nin's, Rat Race Blues '60 on Prestige; Reminiscin' '61 on Mercury and Trip. He has nearly 100 tunes rgistered with ASCAP, the best-known including 'Minority' and 'Nica's Tempo'. At some point he changed his name to Basheer Quisim. He left performing entirely and became a teacher; his classical compositions included symphonies and chamber music. |