Genres Hard bop Name Booker Ervin | Associated acts Charles Mingus Instruments Tenor saxophone | |
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Born October 31, 1930
Denison, Texas ( 1930-10-31 ) Died July 31, 1970, New York City, New York, United States Albums The Freedom Book, The Song Book, The Space Book, The Blues Book, That's It! | ||
Education Berklee College of Music | ||
Booker ervin the trance
Booker Telleferro Ervin II (October 31, 1930 – August 31, 1970) was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is best known for his association with bassist Charles Mingus.
Contents
Booker ervin stolen moments
Biography
Ervin was born in Denison, Texas. He first learned to play trombone at a young age from his father, who played the instrument with Buddy Tate. After leaving school Booker joined the United States Air Force, stationed in Okinawa, during which time he taught himself tenor saxophone. After completing his service in 1953, he studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Moving to Tulsa in 1954, he played with the band of Ernie Fields.
Ervin moved to New York City to join Horace Parlan's quartet, with whom he recorded Up & Down and Happy Frame of Mind (both for Blue Note Records). Ervin worked with Charles Mingus from 1956 to 1963. During the 1960s Ervin also led his own quartet, recording for Prestige Records with ex-Mingus associate pianist Jaki Byard, along with bassist Richard Davis and Alan Dawson on drums.
Ervin later recorded for Blue Note Records and played with pianist Randy Weston, with whom he recorded between 1963 and 1966. Weston has said: "Booker Ervin, for me, was on the same level as John Coltrane. He was a completely original saxophonist.... He was a master.... 'African Cookbook', which I composed back in the early '60s, was partly named after Booker because we (musicians) used to call him 'Book,' and we would say, 'Cook, Book.' Sometimes when he was playing we'd shout, 'Cook, Book, cook.' And the melody of 'African Cookbook' was based upon Booker Ervin's sound, a sound like the north of Africa. He would kind of take those notes and make them weave hypnotically. So, actually the African Cookbook was influenced by Booker Ervin."
Ervin died of kidney disease in New York City in 1970, aged 39.
Most biographical accounts of Ervin's death give an incorrect date. His gravestone in The National Cemetery, East Farmingdale, New York clearly shows the date as August 31st 1970.
As leader
As sideman
With Bill Barron
With Jaki Byard
With Teddy Charles
With Ted Curson
With Núria Feliu
With Roy Haynes
With Andrew Hill
With Eric Kloss
With Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan
With Charles Mingus
With Horace Parlan
With Don Patterson
With Sonny Stitt
With Mal Waldron
With Randy Weston