Carter Jefferson

Carter Jefferson (1946 – 9 December 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.^[1]

Biography

Jefferson played clarinet and alto saxophone early in his career, playing in the backing bands for The Temptations, The Supremes, and Little Richard in the 1960s.^[2] In 1971, he entered New York University, and played with Mongo Santamaría and with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.^[3] Between 1977 and 1980 he performed and recorded with Woody Shaw.^[4] Following this, Jefferson spent time with Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Cedar Walton, Jerry Gonzalez, Malachi Thompson, Barbara Donald, and Jack Walrath. His only record as a bandleader was the 1978 release The Rise of Atlantis, produced by Woody Shaw.^[5] A heavy drinker and smoker for most of his life, he died in Kraków, Poland, in 1993 after an emergency surgical procedure; he had been suffering from cirrhosis, kidney failure, stomach ulcers, a hemorrhaging esophagus, acute circulatory failure, and other maladies.^[6]^[7]

Barbara Donald and Unity: Olympia Live (Cadence Jazz Records, 1982)^[8]
Barbara Donald and Unity: The Past and Tomorrows (Cadence Jazz Records, 1983)^[9]

^ Yanow, Scott. Carter Jefferson at AllMusic. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
^ The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, p. PT742, at Google Books
^ Stokes, W. Royal (July 1, 1983). "Jefferson Jazz". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
^ Woideck, Carl (1992). The Complete CBS Studio Recordings of Woody Shaw (Media notes). Mosaic Records.
^ "Carter Jefferson Discography". Jazzlists. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
^ Grove, Lloyd (December 15, 1993). "The Lonesome Death of a Jazzman". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
^ "THE LONESOME DEATH OF A JAZZMAN - The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
^ Olympia Live (Media notes). Cadence Jazz Records. 1982.
^ The Past and Tomorrows (Media notes). Cadence Jazz Records. 1982.