Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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GRAY, Wardell

(b '21, Oklahoma City OK; d 25 May '55, Las Vegas) Tenor sax. Played with Earl Hines '43--5, many others; settled on West Coast; played in NYC '48 with Benny Goodman, then with Count Basie, but mostly freelanced. Began infl. by Lester Young, then by bop; highly regarded and headed for stardom when found with a broken neck in the desert: drug violence suspected. Almost all recordings on the West Coast, always with good sidemen; '46--50 on various labels incl. Dial (tracks with Charlie Parker; 'The Chase' with Dexter Gordon) now on Spotlite; also on Savoy; solo on 'Twisted' '49 made for Mysterioso/Prestige later had lyrics by Annie Ross. Light Gray '48--50 on Cool 'N' Blue; Live At The Haig '52 on Fresh Sound; Top Rank session in Chicago '55 was later on Onyx and Polydor; Memorial in two vols on Fantasy: 1949--53 and 1950--51; One For Prez on Black Lion.