Contents

Jerome Richardson

Jerome Richardson (December 25, 1920 – June 23, 2000) was an American jazz musician and woodwind player. He is cited as playing one of the earliest jazz flute recordings with his work on the 1949 Quincy Jones arranged song "Kingfish".^[1]

Starting from a young age, he first played alto saxophone, taking Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter as models.^[1] By the age of fourteen, he was playing professionally around northern California, and also took up the flute. He studied music at San Francisco State College.^[2] While in the navy, he worked under Marshal Royal in the 45-piece regimental band that was attached to the Navy's preflight training school for pilots at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. After his discharge, he joined Lionel Hampton`s band in 1949 before moving to New York in 1954. There, he played with Oscar Pettiford and at Minton`s Playhouse doing combo work with Kenny Burrell. He also worked at the Roxy Theatre (New York City) in their R&B productions.^[1]

Richardson was the regular saxophonist in the Oscar Pettiford band that one night, being busy with studio recording work, saw him late for the gig at Cafe Bohemia where Cannonball Adderley and brother Nat Adderley were present in the audience. Cannonball had taken his part and was inadvertantly discovered as a result.^[1]

Richardson was versed in a variety of instruments in the saxophone, clarinet, and flute families. Early in his career he even sang rock and roll blues vocals.^[1] He was an in demand studio musician for television and stage, as well as a session musician in groups outside of jazz. He played with Quincy Jones, Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Oscar Pettiford, Charles Mingus, Kenny Burrell, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (of which he was a founding member), and later with Earl Hines' small band.^[3]

Richardson was born in Oakland, California, and died in Englewood, New Jersey, of heart failure at the age of 79.^[4][5]

• Midnight Oil (New Jazz, 1959)
• Roamin' with Richardson (New Jazz, 1959)
• Going to the Movies (United Artists, 1962)
• Groove Merchant (Verve, 1967)
• Jazz Station Runaway (TCB, 1997)

• Obituary – JazzHouse.org