R.I.P.: Snooky Young

Born Eugene Edward Young on Feb 3, 1919 in Dayton, OH, jazz master trumpeter and LAJS Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Snooky Young just passed away this morning, May 11, 2011, at his home in Newport Beach, California. He was 92 and a current member of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Young is survived by his wife of 72 years, Dorothy; two daughters, Judy Andrews and Donna Hoo; a son, Danny; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

In the event you'd like to attend, Funeral Services will be held:
Wednesday, May 25th - 12:00pm
Forest Lawn
Hollywood Hills
6300 Forest Lawn Drive
Los Angeles 90068

"He first recorded with Jimmie Lunceford's orchestra in 1939," jazz historian Scott Yanow says. But I became acquainted with his name & artistry through the 2,000-plus studio sessions he took part on - from Duke Ellington to Jaco Pastorius, from Count Basie to Aretha Franklin, from Nat "King" Cole to B.B. King, Esther Phillips and James Brown.

And what a joy when I watched him for the first time - alongside Randy Brecker, Lew Soloff, Wynton Marsalis, Jack Walrath & Joe Wilder - in the trumpet section of Charles Mingus' "Epitaph" LaserDisc released in Japan in 1990, and later reissued on DVD. He can also be seen (mispelled Snookie in the credits) on Frank Sinatra/Quincy Jones' "Portrait of an Album" LD (a making-of documentary of the "L.A. Is My Lady" project), backing Sinatra in a great Sam Nestico arrangement of "Stormy Weather," alongside Jerry Hey, Gary Grant and Oscar Brashear in the trumpet section.

My personal favorites from his unbelievable discography as a sideman, besides his three albums as a leader:
Jaco Pastorius - "Word of Mouth"
Frank Sinatra - "LA Is My Lady"
Johnny Hammond - "Wild Horses Rock Steady"
Manhattan Transfer - "Vocalese"
Tony Bennett - "In Person!"
Mark Murphy - "That's How I Love The Blues"
Wes Montgomery - "Movin' Wes"
Lalo Schifrin - "Marquis de Sade," "New Fantasy"
Gil Evans - "Blues in Orbit"
Gary McFarland - "America The Beautiful"
Quincy Jones - "Quintessence," "Plays Hip Hits,"Quincy Explores the Music of Henry Mancini," "Walking in Space," "Smackwater Jack," "Sounds...And Stuff Like That!!"
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross - "Sing Along with Basie"
Bill Evans & George Russell - "Living Time"
Sarah Vaughan - "No Count Sarah"
Kenny Burrell - "Ellington Is Forever"
Ray Charles - "Genius + Soul = Jazz"
Grady Tate - "Windmills of Your Mind"
Steely Dan - "Can't Buy A Thrill"
Duke Ellington & Count Basie - "First Time! The Count Meets the Duke"
Charles Mingus - "The Complete Town Hall Concert, "Let My Children Hear Music," "Epitaph"
George Benson - "Giblet Gravy"
Milt Jackson - "For Someone I Love"
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis - "Suite for Pops"
Hubert Laws - "San Francisco Concert"
Freddie Hubbard - "Bundle of Joy"
Dave Frishberg - "Let's Eat Home"
Jimmy Smith - "The Cat," "Any Number Can Win"
Joe Williams - "Jump for Joy"
Oliver Nelson - "Plays Michelle," "Full Nelson"
Art Farmer - "Listen to Art Farmer and the Orchestra"
Stanley Turrentine - "Joyride"
Grover Washington, Jr. - "Inner City Blues," "All The King's Horses"
Hank Crawford - "Help Me Make It Through The Night"