Anthony Ortega
A talented and advanced improviser, Anthony Ortega had his first major job with Earle Spencer's Orchestra in 1947. After serving in the Army, he was with Lionel Hampton's big band (1951-1953), including Hamp's ill-fated European tour. Ortega played with Milt Buckner, led his own group in Los Angeles, visited Scandinavia in 1954 (which resulted in an LP for Vantage), and then in 1955 relocated to New York. He had stints with Nat Pierce (1956-1958), Dizzy Gillespie, Maynard Ferguson, Paul Bley, and the Quincy Jones Big Band (1960). From then on, he often led his own group, moving back to Los Angeles by the mid-'60s and working with the big bands of Don Ellis and Gerald Wilson. As a leader, in addition to the Vantage album, Ortega recorded sets for Bethlehem, Herald, Revelation (including a 1967 session that was reissued on CD by Hat Art), and Discovery (1978); the latter featured his wife, Mona Orbeek Ortega, on piano and vibes. Anthony Ortega remained active into the last years of his life, regularly appearing at clubs in his adopted hometown of Encinitas, California; he died on October 30, 2022, at the age of 94.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Discography
6 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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On Evidence
Jazz - Released by Frémeaux & associés on 1 jan. 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Essential Jazz Masters
Lounge - Released by Stardust Records on 1 aug. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Earth dance
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on 2 aug. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Anthony Ortega Quartet: A Man and His Horns
Jazz - Released by Blue Velvet on 5 jul. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo