Booker Little facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Booker Little
Little in 1961
Background information
Birth name	Booker Little Jr.
Born	(1938-04-02)April 2, 1938 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	October 5, 1961(1961-10-05) (aged 23) New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, hard bop, avant-garde jazz
Occupation(s)	Trumpeter, composer
Instruments	Trumpet
Years active	1956–1961
Associated acts	Max Roach, Eric Dolphy, Johnny Griffin, George Coleman, Tommy Flanagan, Art Davis, Julian Priester, Frank Strozier, Ray Draper, Bob Cranshaw, Abbey Lincoln

Booker Little Jr. (born April 2, 1938 – died October 5, 1961) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He played the trumpet and wrote music. Even though his career was short, he made many recordings. He played with famous musicians like Max Roach, John Coltrane, and Eric Dolphy. Booker Little was greatly inspired by Sonny Rollins and Clifford Brown. He passed away when he was only 23 years old.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Booker Little Jr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His father, Booker, played the trombone. His mother, Ophelia Little, played the organ at church. His sister, Vera Little, later became a singer with the London Opera Company.

Since his family loved music, Booker naturally started playing too. He first tried the trombone, like his dad. But at age 12, he switched to the clarinet. When he was 14, his band teacher suggested the trumpet. That's the instrument he stuck with.

In 1952, Booker went to Manassas High School. There, he really started to get good at the trumpet. He also played with other talented musicians from Memphis. These included Phineas Newborn Jr., George Coleman, and Frank Strozier. He often performed with Newborn when he was a teenager.

After high school, Booker moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1954. He went to the Chicago Conservatory. He kept studying the trumpet. He also learned about composing music, music theory, and how to arrange music for orchestras. He even studied piano a little. He earned a bachelor's degree in trumpet.

When he was a sophomore, Booker met the famous musician Sonny Rollins. They lived at the YMCA for about nine months. Rollins really helped Booker. He told Booker to find his own unique sound. He encouraged him not to just copy other musicians.

Music Career Highlights

1958-1959: First Recordings with Max Roach

Booker Little met drummer Max Roach in 1955. This happened during a recording session with Sonny Rollins. In 1956, another trumpet player named Clifford Brown passed away. Booker then became the trumpet player for Max Roach's band, called Max Roach Four.

Booker had to leave the band for a while because he was still in school. Another musician, Kenny Dorham, took his place. After graduating, Booker rejoined Max Roach's group in 1958. He played with his friend George Coleman again.

Booker's first recording was on the album Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene in June 1958. He played on songs like "My Old Flame". He recorded two more albums with the group. Max Roach changed the band by adding a tuba player, Ray Draper, instead of a piano.

On the album Max Roach + 4 at Newport, Booker introduced his first song, Minor Mode. He was also the main soloist on "A Night in Tunisia". Their next album was Deeds, Not Words. Booker helped a lot with this album. He showed his skills in writing and arranging music.

In October 1958, the group appeared on a TV show called Stars of Jazz. Also that month, Booker recorded his first album as the main artist. It was called Booker Little 4 and Max Roach (also known as The Defiant Ones). On this album, Booker played three of his own songs: "Rounders Mode," "Dungeons Waltz," and "Jewels Tempo."

Booker recorded two more albums with Max Roach's group. These were Award-Winning Drummer in 1958 and Many Sides of Max Roach in 1959. Many Sides of Max Roach was the last album he made with Roach's group for a while.

1959-1960: Playing with Other Musicians

During his break from Max Roach's band, Booker Little played with many different musicians in New York. This is called "freelancing." He met new friends like John Coltrane, Slide Hampton, and Teddy Charles.

He played on two songs for an album called Down Home Reunion. This album brought together his old friends from Memphis. The group was called Young Men From Memphis. They showed their love for blues music on this album.

From late 1959 to early 1960, Booker played on other albums. These included Slide!, Bill Henderson Sings, and Fantastic Frank Strozier. He also recorded his second album as a leader, simply called Booker Little. On this album, he introduced more of his own songs. Some of these were "Opening Statement," "Minor Sweet," and "Life's a Little Blue."

1960-1961: Working with Eric Dolphy and Final Recordings

In 1960, Booker Little rejoined Max Roach's band. He recorded 14 albums with them between April 1960 and September 1961. When he came back, Booker took on a bigger role. He became the music director and wrote more songs for the group. The first album they recorded was We Insist! - Freedom Now Suite.

Booker continued to work with Max Roach. But he also met Eric Dolphy, another talented musician. When Booker and Eric played together, it seemed like they were creating a brand new sound in music. Eric Dolphy recorded Far Cry with Booker on trumpet.

Booker also recorded his third album as a leader, called Out Front. This album was inspired by his work on We Insist!. After recording We Insist!, Booker was asked to write music for a record company called Candid Records.

In June 1961, Booker and Eric Dolphy played together at the Five Spot club in New York. They performed there for a while. Three albums were later released from these performances. They were called Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot Volumes 1&2 and the Memorial Album. During this time, Booker really started to show his amazing talent. He expanded on the style of jazz that Clifford Brown played, who was a big influence on him.

Booker Little recorded his last album with Max Roach in August 1961. It was called Percussion Bitter Sweet. Eric Dolphy also played saxophone on this album. Booker then recorded his very last album as a leader. It was called Booker Little and Friend (also known as Victory and Sorrow).

Booker Little had been in pain for several years. He died from a serious kidney illness on October 5, 1961. He was in New York City and was only 23 years old. He left behind his wife, two sons, and two daughters.

Discography

As a Leader

• 1958: Booker Little 4 and Max Roach (United Artists)
• 1960: Booker Little (Time)
• 1960: The Soul Of Jazz Percussion (also released as The Third World) (Warwick W-5003)
• 1961: Out Front (Candid) with Julian Priester, Eric Dolphy, Don Friedman, Ron Carter, Art Davis, Max Roach
• 1961: Booker Little and Friend (Bethlehem) (This album was re-issued as Victory and Sorrow)

As a Sideman (playing with others)

With Teddy Charles

• Jazz in the Garden at the Museum of Modern Art (Warwick, 1960)

With John Coltrane

• Africa/Brass (Impulse!, 1961)

With Eric Dolphy

• Far Cry (Prestige/OJC, 1960)
• At the Five Spot (New Jazz/OJC, 1961)

With Slide Hampton

• Slide Hampton and His Horn of Plenty (Strand, 1959)

With Bill Henderson

• Bill Henderson Sings (Vee-Jay, 1959)

With Abbey Lincoln

• Straight Ahead (Candid, 1961)

With Max Roach

• Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene (EmArcy, 1958)
• Max Roach + 4 at Newport (EmArcy, 1958)
• Deeds, Not Words (Riverside, 1958)
• Award-Winning Drummer (Time, 1958)
• The Many Sides of Max (Mercury, 1959)
• We Insist! (Candid, 1960)
• Percussion Bitter Sweet (Impulse!, 1961)
• Alone Together: The Best of the Mercury Years (Verve); Booker Little performs on three tracks recorded in 1958 and 1959

With Frank Strozier

• Fantastic Frank Strozier (Vee-Jay, 1960)

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot

See also

In Spanish: Booker Little para niños