Phineas Newborn
One of the most technically skilled and brilliant pianists in jazz during his prime, Phineas Newborn remains a bit of a mystery. Plagued by mental and physical problems of unknown origin, Newborn faded from the scene in the mid-'60s, only to re-emerge at irregular intervals throughout his life. Newborn could be compared to Oscar Peterson in that his bop-based style was largely unclassifiable, his technique was phenomenal, and he was very capable of enthralling an audience playing a full song with just his left hand.
He started out working in Memphis R&B bands with his brother, guitarist Calvin Newborn, and recorded with local players including B.B. King in the early '50s. Brief stints with Lionel Hampton and Willis Jackson preceded a period in the military (1952-1954). After moving to New York in 1956, Newborn astounded fans and critics alike. Although he worked briefly with Charles Mingus (1958) and Roy Haynes, Newborn usually performed at the head of a trio or quartet. His early recordings for Atlantic (1956), Victor, Roulette, and Contemporary are quite outstanding. Unfortunately, after the mid-'60s, Newborn's profile dropped sharply, and although there were further recordings for Contemporary (1969), Atlantic (1969), Pablo (1976) and the Japanese Philips (1977) label, and although he still sounded strong when appearing in public, the pianist was in danger of being forgotten by most of the jazz world during his last decade. Spending most of his time in Memphis, he was an inspiration to many younger pianists including James Williams, Harold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller, Donald Brown, and Geoff Keezer, who after Newborn's death would dedicate their work as the Contemporary Piano Ensemble to him. Fortunately, the episode of Jazz Scene USA that features Phineas Newborn in 1962 has been made available on a video by "Shanachie."
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Hold That Thought
Jazz - Released by nagel heyer records on 7 Dec 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
While My Lady Sleeps
Jazz - Released by SINETONE AMR on 12 Aug 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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No Easy Way
Jazz - Released by nagel heyer records on 5 Apr 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Best of Phineas Newborn
Jazz - Released by Soul Light Records on 8 Dec 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
We Three
Paul Chambers, Roy Haynes, Phineas Newborn
Jazz - Released by SINETONE AMR on 1 May 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
That's Why The Moon Was Smiling
Jazz - Released by The Moon Was Smiling on 20 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Guitar Town Music
Jazz - Released by GTM restart rec. on 29 Jun 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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In That Golden Summer Time
Jazz - Released by golden times on 17 Jul 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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