Cecil Payne


Cecil Payne was an American jazz baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, New York. Payne also played the alto saxophone and flute. He played with other prominent jazz musicians, in particular Dizzy Gillespie and Randy Weston, in addition to his solo work as bandleader.

Biography

Payne received his first saxophone at the age of 13, asking his father for one after hearing "Honeysuckle Rose" performed by Count Basie with Lester Young soloing. Payne took lessons from a local alto sax player, Pete Brown. He studied at Boys High School, Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Payne began his professional recording career with J. J. Johnson on the Savoy label in 1946. During that year he also began playing with Roy Eldridge, through whom he met Dizzy Gillespie. His earlier recordings would largely fall under the swing category, until Gillespie hired him. Payne stayed on board until 1949, heard performing solos on "Ow!" and "Stay On It". In the early 1950s he found himself working with Tadd Dameron, and worked with Illinois Jacquet from 1952 to 1954. He then started freelance work in New York City and frequently performed during this period with Randy Weston, whom Payne worked with until 1960. Payne was still recording regularly for Delmark Records in the 1990s, when he was in his seventies, and indeed on into the new millennium.
Payne was a cousin of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, whom he recorded with briefly. Aside from his career in music, Payne helped run his father's real estate company during the 1950s. Payne once said that his parents urged him to consider dentistry as a career. He countered their suggestion by pointing out that no one would ever entrust his or her teeth to a "Dr. Payne".

Discography

As leader

With Cannonball Adderley
With Gene Ammons
With Count Basie
With Nick Brignola
With Kenny Burrell
With Jimmy Cleveland
With Ray Charles
With Kenny Clarke and Ernie Wilkins
With John Coltrane
With Tadd Dameron
With Kenny Dorham
With Matthew Gee
With Dizzy Gillespie
With Benny Golson
With Al Grey
With Gigi Gryce
  • Doin' the Gigi
With Johnny Hammond
  • The Prophet
With Ernie Henry
  • Last Chorus
With Illinois Jacquet
  • Groovin' with Jacquet
  • The Soul Explosion
With J. J. Johnson
  • Jazz Quintets
With Philly Joe Jones Dameronia
  • To Tadd with Love
  • Look Stop Listen
With Quincy Jones
  • Golden Boy
With Duke Jordan
With James Moody
  • The Blues and Other Colors
With Archie Shepp
  • Kwanza
With Jimmy Smith
With Sonny Stitt
With Idrees Sulieman
  • Roots with the Prestige All Stars
With Clark Terry:
  • Clark Terry
With Leon Thomas
  • Blues and the Soulful Truth
With Randy Weston
With Ernie Wilkins'