Representative Albums: "Man of Many Parts," "Jazz for Thousand Oaks," "Flute Talk"
Representative Songs: "Buddy Boo," "St. Andrews Place Blues," "Cycle"
Biography
An important force in the Los Angeles jazz community, Buddy Collette was an early pioneer at playing jazz on the flute. Collette started on piano as a child and then gradually learned all of the woodwinds. He played with Les Hite in 1942; led a dance band while in the Navy during World War II; and then freelanced in the L.A. area with such bands as the Stars of Swing (1946), Edgar Hayes, Louis Jordan, Benny Carter, and Gerald Wilson (1949-1950). An early teacher of Charles Mingus, Collette became the first black musician to get a permanent spot in a West Coast studio band (1951-1955). He gained his greatest recognition as an important member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet (1955-1956), and he recorded several albums as a leader in the mid- to late '50s for Contemporary. Otherwise, he mostly stuck to the L.A. area, freelancing, working in the studios, playing in clubs, teaching, and inspiring younger musicians. Although a fine tenor player and a good clarinetist, Collette's most distinctive voice is on flute; he recorded an album with one of his former students, the great James Newton (1989). In addition, Collette participated in a reunion of the Chico Hamilton Quintet, and recorded a two-disc "talking record" for the Issues label in 1994, in which he discussed some of what he had seen and experienced through the years. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
At age 12 Collette took up the alto-saxophone and led his first group which included Britt Woodman on trombone and Charles Mingus on bass. At 17 he started playing professionally. After serving as a U.S. Navy band leader, he played with the Stars of Swing (featuring Woodman, Mingus and Lucky Thompson). Along with saxophonist Dexter Gordon bassist Charles Mingus, and drummer Chico Hamilton, he helped keep bebop alive in Los Angeles' historic Central Avenue neighborhood. In the early 1950s he worked as a studio musician, also becoming the first African American musician to perform on television, on Groucho Marx's program, You Bet Your Life.
In 1955, he became a founding member of Chico Hamilton's legendary quintet. The unusual instrumented quintet also featured guitarist Jim Hall and cellist (and pianist) Fred Katz, and performed chamber jazz. A year later, Collette recorded Man of Many Parts, his first album as a bandleader.
Unlike other influential West Coast players Collette stayed in Los Angeles, recorded with his quintet, and became a noteworthy educator. His students included such renowned musicians as Eric Dolphy, Charles Lloyd, Frank Morgan, Sonny Criss, and James Newton.
In 1996, the Library of Congress commissioned Collette to write and perform a special big band concert to highlight his long career. Although a stroke in 1998 rendered him unable to play anymore, Collette remains active in jazz education, having founded numerous programs for kids in the Los Angeles area. Together with Steven Louis Isoardi he wrote an autobiography titled Jazz Generations: A Life in American Music and Society (Bayou 2000).
Collette was a pioneer civil rights activist, working to desegregate the musicians union of Los Angeles. Gerald Wilson, Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, and saxophonist Benny Carter were some of his early supporters. He also helped organize a concert and rally protesting government repression of the legendary African American singer, actor, and political activist Paul Robeson.
