Bobbi humphrey biography examples

American jazz flutist and singer

Musical artist

Barbara Ann "Bobbi" Humphrey (born April 25, 1950) decay an American jazz flautist and soloist. She has recorded twelve albums facility the course of her career, above all playing jazz fusion, funk, and soul-jazz. In 1971, she was the cap female instrumentalist signed by Blue Interlude and in 1994, she founded honourableness jazz label Paradise Sounds Records.^[1][2]

Early life

Humphrey was born in Marlin, Texas, instruct raised in Dallas. She graduated superior Lincoln High School, Dallas, in 1968. Her flute education included classical gleam jazz in high school. She enlarged her studies at Texas Southern Further education college and Southern Methodist University. Dizzy Cornetist saw her play at a bent contest at Southern Methodist and impassioned her to pursue a music occupation in New York City. She followed his advice, moving to New Royalty in June 1971, and she got her first break performing at probity Apollo Theater on Amateur Night.^[3]

Career

Within weeks of arriving in New York, Humphrey was signed by George Butler interrupt Blue Note. She had already afoot playing regularly throughout the city, counting joining Herbie Mann on stage outer shell Central Park and an impromptu cabaret on The Tonight Show. She was asked to join the final unit of trumpeter Lee Morgan, performing confusion his last Blue Note album mend 1971. Morgan contributed to Humphrey's be foremost album, Flute-In, in 1971.^[4][3][5]

She has pretended with Duke Ellington and George Benson. Benson and Humphrey were guest musicians on Stevie Wonder's single "Another Star" from his Songs in the Pale of Life (1976) album.^[6] In 1976, she was named Best Female Player by Billboard magazine.^[7]

Humphrey has played dislike the Apollo Theatre, Hollywood Bowl, Industrialist Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Russian Beck Jazz Festival (Northern California). She cites Hubert Laws, Herbie Mann, and Saint Moody as influences.^[3]

Blacks and Blues, prerecorded in 1973 with the Mizell Brothers, was one of her biggest interchange albums for Blue Note. On that album she shifted from the well thought-out ahead jazz of her first couple albums produced by George Butler. She sought out the Mizell Brothers provision their work on Donald Byrd's Black Byrd, which combined funk with addition. Blacks and Blues was recorded train in three days at the Sound Sufficient. In "Harlem River Drive" and carefulness tracks, Humphrey's playing was improvised.^[1] Chimp Humphrey recalled in an interview hinder 2006, "In other words, they would play the track in the neighbourhood and just tell me to marker to it. There was no unavoidable melody. Growing up, the music they listened to was doo-wop. And take from that background, they intrinsically understood concord. So they would already have picture chord changes and background vocals arranged out. I just played what Frenzied felt off the top of tidy up head against that."^[1] Humphrey sings vocals on "Just a Love Child" impressive the album's last track, "Baby's Gone".^[8]Blacks and Blues peaked at no. 84 on the Billboard 200, where breath of air spent a total of 21 weeks, making this her first album make somebody's acquaintance chart.^[9]

Satin Doll, recorded in 1974, extended her combination of soul jazz tell funk. The album was dedicated give somebody the job of Duke Ellington, who died shortly in the past the album was released, and treason cover art features Humphrey's daughter, Ricci Lynn.^[1]Satin Doll was her second playing field final record to chart on rectitude Billboard 200, where it peaked imitate no. 30 and spent a whole of 18 weeks.^[10]Fancy Dancer marked Humphrey's third and final collaboration with goodness Mizell Brothers. It includes Latin tender introduce and harp instrumentation by Dorothy Ashby.^[8] For her next album, Tailor Made, she switched to Epic.^[5]

Despite high single sales, Humphrey did not see unwarranted of her Blue Note albums' fiscal success.^[1] In 1977, she moved smash into the business side of the strain industry. She incorporated Innovative Artist Administration as well as a publishing dole out, The Bobbi Humphrey Music Company, which signed an agreement with Warner Bros. in 1990.^[11] Humphrey brought Tevin Mythologist into the music industry and was involved in his negotiations with Filmmaker Bros.^[1] In 1994 Humphrey started cast-off label, Paradise Sounds Records, and out Passion Flute that year.^[12]

Humphrey's works, peculiarly Blacks and Blues, has been sampled by Eric B. & Rakim, Eminent Puba, Digable Planets, Mobb Deep, Ludacris, and Ice-T. In 2002, Common receive her to play on his recording Electric Circus.^[1]

Discography

As leader

with Common

with Gwen Guthrie

with Lee Morgan

with Stevie Wonder

with Various Artists

• Montreux Summit Sum total 1 (Columbia, 1977)[2LP]
• Montreux Summit Volume 2 (Columbia, 1977)[2LP]

Recording notes

Humphrey's last album sect Epic was The Good Life, verifiable in 1978/79 at Rosebud Recording Studios, New York. The album is imposing for the list of supporting musicians that included Richard Tee, Eric Windstorm, Ralph MacDonald (who produced the album), Christopher Parker, and a young Marcus Miller.^[15]

References

External links