Junior Mance facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Junior Mance
Junior Mance in 1980
Background information
Birth name	Julian Clifford Mance, Jr.
Born	(1928-10-10)October 10, 1928 Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Died	January 17, 2021(2021-01-17) (aged 92) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Blues, hard bop
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1947–2016
Labels	Riverside, Capitol, Atlantic

Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. (born October 10, 1928 – died January 17, 2021), known as Junior Mance, was an amazing American jazz pianist and composer. He was known for his soulful blues style. Junior Mance played the piano for over 60 years. He worked with many famous jazz musicians.

Biography of Junior Mance

Early Life and Piano Beginnings (1928–1947)

Junior Mance was born in Evanston, Illinois. He started playing the piano when he was just five years old. He learned on an upright piano at his family's home. His father, Julian, taught him how to play stride piano and boogie-woogie. These are fun, energetic piano styles.

When he was ten, Junior had his first professional music job. He filled in for a sick pianist in Chicago. His family called him "Junior" to tell him apart from his dad. This nickname stayed with him throughout his career.

Junior's mother wanted him to study medicine at Northwestern University. But Junior really loved music. He decided to go to Roosevelt College in Chicago instead. He signed up for music classes, even though jazz music was not allowed there. He left college before finishing the year.

Playing in Chicago and Army Service (1947–1953)

In 1947, Junior Mance started playing with Gene Ammons in Chicago. They even recorded music together that year. Junior also played in New York City with Ammons.

In 1949, famous saxophonist Lester Young needed a piano player. Junior Mance was asked to join his band. He also recorded with Young. Later, he played with Sonny Stitt in 1950.

In 1951, Junior Mance was called to join the U.S. Army. He was supposed to go to Korea. But his friend, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, helped him. Junior got a job in the 36th Army Band at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He stayed there as a company clerk.

After leaving the Army in 1953, Junior Mance quickly found work. He played at the Bee Hive Jazz Club in Chicago. He played with many jazz legends there. These included Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, and Sonny Stitt.

Moving to New York City (1953–1959)

Charlie Parker told Junior Mance to move to New York. So, Junior saved his money and moved there in 1954. He was asked to record with singer Dinah Washington. He toured with her for two years. He learned a lot about how to play piano for singers.

Junior Mance recorded two albums with Dinah Washington. These were Dinah Jams and Jam Session. They were recorded live in Los Angeles. Many other great musicians played on these albums too.

In 1956, Junior joined Cannonball Adderley's band. They made several recordings together. Dinah Washington even hired this group to play on her album, In the Land of Hi-Fi. Junior also recorded with other musicians like Johnny Griffin and James Moody.

After Cannonball Adderley's group ended, Junior Mance joined Dizzy Gillespie's band. He even played with Gillespie and Louis Armstrong on TV in 1959.

Becoming a Band Leader and Later Years (1959–2016)

In 1959, Junior Mance got his first chance to record his own album. It was called Junior. He recorded it with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Lex Humphries. This was the start of a very busy time for him.

He released six more albums in the early 1960s. He also joined a group with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin. They released seven albums together.

Junior Mance recorded for big music labels like Capitol and Atlantic. He even tried new styles of music. He wrote a book called How to Play Blues Piano in 1967.

Junior Mance kept recording and performing for many years. He made duet albums with bassist Martin Rivera. He also released two solo piano albums. For 23 years, he taught music at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He retired from teaching in 2011.

From 1990 to 2009, Junior Mance was part of a group called "100 Gold Fingers." This group of famous pianists often toured Japan.

In 2007, Junior and his wife Gloria started their own record label, JunGlo. Their first album was Live At Café Loup. Junior Mance continued to tour the U.S., Italy, Japan, and Israel. He played with his trio at Café Loup every Sunday night until he retired in 2016.

Junior Mance passed away in New York in 2021 at the age of 92. He had suffered a brain hemorrhage after a fall.

Discography

Junior Mance released many albums as a band leader and played on many more as a sideman. Here are some of his most notable works:

As leader

As sideman

Junior Mance played piano on many albums for other artists. Here are some of the famous musicians he worked with:

See also

In Spanish: Junior Mance para niños