Cecil Payne

Biography

Payne received his first saxophone at the age of 13, asking his father for one after hearing "Honeysuckle Rose" performed by Count Basie with Lester Young soloing. Payne took lessons from a local alto sax player, Pete Brown. He studied at Boys High School, Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Payne began his professional recording career with J. J. Johnson on the Savoy label in 1946. During that year he also began playing with Roy Eldridge, through whom he met Dizzy Gillespie. His earlier recordings would largely fall under the swing category, until Gillespie hired him. Payne stayed on board until 1949, heard performing solos on "Ow!" and "Stay On It". In the early 1950s he found himself working with Tadd Dameron, and worked with Illinois Jacquet from 1952 to 1954. He then started freelance work in New York City and frequently performed during this period with Randy Weston, whom Payne worked with until 1960. Payne was still recording regularly for Delmark Records in the 1990s, when he was in his seventies, and indeed on into the new millennium.

Payne was a cousin of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, whom he recorded with briefly. Aside from his career in music, Payne helped run his father's real estate company during the 1950s. Payne once said that his parents urged him to consider dentistry as a career. He countered their suggestion by pointing out that no one would ever entrust his or her teeth to a "Dr. Payne".

As leader

As sideman

With Gene Ammons

With Count Basie

With Nick Brignola

With Kenny Burrell

With Jimmy Cleveland

With John Coltrane

With Tadd Dameron

With Kenny Dorham

With Matthew Gee

With Dizzy Gillespie

With Benny Golson

With Al Grey

With Gigi Gryce

With Johnny Hammond

With Ernie Henry

With Illinois Jacquet

With J. J. Johnson

With Duke Jordan

With James Moody

With Archie Shepp

With Jimmy Smith

With Sonny Stitt

With Idrees Sulieman

With Clark Terry:

With Randy Weston

With Ernie Wilkins