Wardell Gray
Wardell Gray was one of the top tenors to emerge during the bop era (along with Dexter Gordon and Teddy Edwards). His Lester Young-influenced tone made his playing attractive to swing musicians as well as younger modernists. He grew up in Detroit, playing in local bands as a teenager. Gray was with Earl Hines during 1943-1945, recording with him (1945). That same year, he moved to Los Angeles and he became a major part of the Central Avenue scene, having nightly tenor battles with Dexter Gordon; their recording of "The Chase" was popular. Gray recorded with Charlie Parker in 1947 and yet his style appealed to Benny Goodman, with whom he played the following year. Among his own sessions, his solos on "Twisted" (1949) and "Farmer's Market" (1952) were turned into memorable vocalese by Annie Ross a few years later. Back in New York, Gray played and recorded with Tadd Dameron and the Count Basie septet and big band (1950-1951); "Little Pony," his showcase with the Basie orchestra, is a classic. Gray was featured on some Norman Granz jam sessions ("Apple Jam" has a particularly heated solo) and recorded with Louie Bellson (1952-1953). Ironically, Wardell Gray, who in the late '40s was an inspiration to some younger musicians due to his opposition to drug use, himself became involved in drugs and died mysteriously in Las Vegas on May 25, 1955, when he was just 34.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Wardell Gray Vol. 1 (1945-46)
Jazz - Released by Documents on 1 Sep 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sax Sparks
Jazz - Released by Music Today Records on 14 Jan 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Wardell Gray: Way Out Wardell
Jazz - Released by Blue Velvet on 7 Apr 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1950 - 1955
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 9 Feb 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wardell Gray's Sweet Lorraine
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 25 Jun 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wardell Gray's In The Land Of Oo-Bla-Dee
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 25 Jun 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wardell Gray Memorial Volume One
Bebop - Released by Music Manager on 7 Feb 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wardell Gray Vol. 5 (1952-55)
Jazz - Released by Documents on 1 Sep 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Live at Hollywood
Jazz - Released by Music Today Records on 4 Feb 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mischievous Lady
Dexter Gordon Quintet, Dexter Gordon Quartet, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray
Pop - Released by Beat Repeat on 1 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bebop Live Concerts Vol. 3 (1946-47)
Wardell Gray, Buck Clayton, Charlie Parker
Jazz - Released by Documents on 1 Sep 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Classic Years
Jazz - Released by Sleeping Giant Music on 29 Sep 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Chase (Original)
Jazz - Released by A Riff Supreme on 9 Oct 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Concert With Wardell Gray All Stars
Bebop - Released by Digital World Contents S.A.S. on 16 Jul 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scrapple From The APple
Jazz - Released by Blooming Jazz Records on 29 Jul 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wardell Gray Classic Collection, Vol. 8
Jazz - Released by Diamond Days on 18 Jul 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wardell Gray Classic Collection, Vol. 7
Jazz - Released by Diamond Days on 18 Jul 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wardell Gray Classic Collection, Vol. 6
Jazz - Released by Diamond Days on 18 Jul 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo