Booker Ervin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Booker Ervin

Background information
Birth name	Booker Telleferro Ervin II
Born	(1930-10-31)October 31, 1930 Denison, Texas
Died	August 31, 1970(1970-08-31) (aged 39) New York City
Genres	Hard bop
Instruments	Tenor saxophone
Associated acts	Charles Mingus

Booker Telleferro Ervin II (born October 31, 1930 – died August 31, 1970) was a talented American musician. He played the tenor saxophone, which is a large, deep-sounding type of saxophone. People remembered his music for its strong, powerful sound. He often used sounds inspired by blues and gospel music. Booker Ervin was also well-known for working with the famous bassist Charles Mingus.

Booker Ervin's Life Story
Booker Ervin's Music Albums
- Albums as the Leader
- Albums as a Sideman (playing with others)
See also

Booker Ervin's Life Story

Booker Ervin was born in Denison, Texas, in the United States. When he was young, his father taught him to play the trombone. His father also played music with a famous musician named Buddy Tate. After finishing school, Booker Ervin joined the United States Air Force. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. During this time, he taught himself how to play the tenor saxophone.

After his military service ended in 1953, he went to study music. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1954, he moved to Tulsa and played with a band led by Ernie Fields. After living in Denver and Pittsburgh, Ervin moved to New York City in the spring of 1958. At first, he worked a regular job during the day. At night, he would play music with other musicians in informal "jam sessions."

Booker Ervin then started working regularly with Charles Mingus. This was from late 1958 to 1960. He joined Mingus's groups again at different times until the fall of 1964. After that, he traveled to Europe. In the mid-1960s, Ervin also led his own music group, called a quartet. They recorded albums for Prestige Records. Some of the musicians in his quartet included Jaki Byard (a pianist who also worked with Mingus), Richard Davis on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums.

Ervin later recorded for Blue Note Records. He also played with pianist Randy Weston from 1963 to 1966. Randy Weston greatly admired Booker Ervin. Weston said that Ervin was as talented as John Coltrane. He called Ervin a "completely original saxophonist" and a "master." Weston even said that his song "African Cookbook" was partly named after Booker. Musicians used to call Booker "Book" and would shout "Cook, Book, cook!" when he played. The sound of "African Cookbook" was inspired by Booker Ervin's unique style. It reminded Weston of music from North Africa.

From October 1964 to the summer of 1966, Ervin lived and performed in Europe. He played concerts in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and The Netherlands. He often played at the Jamboree Club in Barcelona, Spain. While overseas, he recorded music and appeared on radio shows. He made albums with his own quartet and with other musicians like Dexter Gordon. He also played with Catalan singer Núria Feliu. Ervin performed at several jazz festivals, including the 1965 Berlin Jazz Festival. There, he played a twenty-five-minute solo piece. This performance was later released as "Blues For You" on an album called Lament For Booker Ervin in 1977.

After returning to the United States in the summer of 1966, Ervin led his own groups. They performed in jazz clubs across the country. He also appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1967 and the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1966. At Monterey, he performed with Randy Weston. A recording of their performance was released on CD in 1994. In 1968, he again played in clubs and festivals in Scandinavia. He also broadcast with the Danish Radio Big Band. He recorded more music for Prestige Records. In late 1966, he signed with Pacific Jazz. He recorded two albums with them: Structurally Sound and Booker 'n' Brass (1967). After that, he moved to Blue Note Records.

Booker Ervin recorded two albums for Blue Note under his own name: In Between and Tex Book Tenor. Tex Book Tenor was not released during his lifetime. It first came out in the 1970s as part of a double album. That album also included recordings led by Horace Parlan, where Ervin also played. In 2005, Blue Note released Tex Book Tenor as a single CD. His last recorded performance was in January 1969. He was a guest on an album by a young musician named Eric Kloss.

Booker Ervin passed away in New York City in 1970. He was 39 years old and died from kidney disease. Most stories about his death have the wrong date. His gravestone in The National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York, clearly shows the date as August 31, 1970. In 2017, a short biography about Ervin was written by English saxophonist and author Simon Spillett. It was part of a collection called The Good Book.

Booker Ervin's Music Albums

Here is a list of albums Booker Ervin recorded. Some were as the main artist, and others were with other musicians.

Albums as the Leader

1960: The Book Cooks (Bethlehem)
1960: Cookin' (Savoy)
1961: That's It! (Candid)
1963: Exultation! (Prestige)
1963: Gumbo! (Prestige) – with Pony Poindexter
1963: The Freedom Book (Prestige)
1964: The Song Book (Prestige)
1964: The Blues Book (Prestige)
1964: The Space Book (Prestige)
1965: Groovin' High (Prestige)
1965: The Trance (Prestige)
1965: Setting the Pace (Prestige) - with Dexter Gordon
1966: Heavy!!! (Prestige)
1966: Structurally Sound (Pacific Jazz)
1967: Booker 'n' Brass (Pacific Jazz)
1968: The In Between (Blue Note)
1968: Tex Book Tenor (Blue Note)
Back from the Gig (Blue Note, issued 1976) – recorded 1964 and 1968; this was a 2-LP set of two previously unreleased sessions. These were later released as Horace Parlan's Happy Frame of Mind in 1988 and Ervin's Tex Book Tenor in 2005.