Buddy Collette (born William Marcel Collette August 6, 1921 in Los Angeles, California) is an American tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist. He was highly influential in the West coast jazz Movement, collaborating with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, drummer Chico Hamilton, and his lifelong friend, bassist Charles Mingus. August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area    - City 1,290. ... A saxophonist is a musician who plays the saxophone. ... A flautist demonstrates flute-playing technique A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays the flute. ... A clarinetist (sometimes also spelled clarinettist) is a musician who plays the clarinet. ... West coast jazz is a form of jazz music that developed around Los Angeles at about the same time as hard bop jazz was developing in New York City, in the 1950s and 1960s. ... Dexter (Keith) Gordon (February 27, 1923 - April 25, 1990) was a New York tenor saxophone musician. ... A drummer at practice A drummer is a musician who plays the drums, particularly the drum kit, marching percussion, or hand drums. ... Foreststorn Hamilton, better known as Chico Hamilton (born September 21, 1921 in Los Angeles) is a jazz drummer. ... Paul Chambers, acclaimed jazz bassist A bassist is a musician who plays a double bass or electric bass (also referred to as bass guitar). ... Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979), also known as Charlie Mingus, was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ...

Life and career

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 tht 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 50's 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. Britt Woodman (born June 4, 1920 in Los Angeles; died October 13, 2000 in Hawthorne, California) was a jazz trombonist. ... Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979), also known as Charlie Mingus, was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ... Eli (Lucky) Thompson (born in 1924) was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Julius Henry Marx, known as Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... You Bet Your Life was an American radio and television quiz show. ...

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. Jim Hall is a programmer for the FreeDOS project and the original developer of the GNU Robots program. ... Chamber jazz is a genre of jazz based around small, acoustic-based ensembles where group interplay is important. ...

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 woodwind players as Eric Dolphy, Charles Lloyd, Frank Morgan, Sonny Criss, and James Newton. Eric Allan Dolphy (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was a jazz musician who played alto saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. ... Charles Lloyd on stage with Billy Higgins Charles Lloyd (March 15, 1938-) is an American jazz musician. ... Frank Morgan as The Wizard of Oz. ... William Sonny Criss (October 23, 1927 - November 19, 1977) was an American jazz musician. ... James Newton (b. ...

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). 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Great Hall interior. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

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. Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... Gerald Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer/arranger, and educator. ... Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and Academy Award-winning actor who many consider to be one of the finest male popular song vocalists of all time. ... Nat King Cole in The Blue Gardenia (1953) Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965) was a hugely popular American singer and jazz musician. ... Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. ... Paul Robeson USPS Black Heritage stamp of Paul Robeson. ...

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