Wade Legge (February 4, 1934, Huntington, West Virginia – August 29, 1963, Buffalo, New York) was an American jazz pianist and bassist.
Wade lived less than 30 years, his short career an
impressive legacy of stimulating work and superb interaction with masters such
as Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, and Charles Mingus. Legge was a fine bassist
as well as pianist.
Wade Legge was born in 1934 in Huntington, West Virginia,
but soon thereafter moved to Buffalo, New York with his parents, both of whom
were musicians. Legge played more bass than piano in his early years, and it
was with the bass that he was first noticed by Milt Jackson, who recommended
him to Dizzy Gillespie. This led to a Legge up into Gillespie's combo, a good
career move as this group was working steadily in the '50s. A half a month into
the first tour, the story goes that Gillespie walked in on Legge playing piano
and said "I'm switching you off bass." In another version, Legge got
the job after showing the current pianist a hipper way to play a bridge. Legge
stretched out in this group through 1954, getting his first opportunities to
record as a trio leader when in France on Gillespie's dime.
He also did sessions with Joe Roland, Bill Hardman, Pepper Adams, Jimmy Knepper, and Jimmy Cleveland. Legge was one of three pianists recording as a member of the variously staffed Gryce/Byrd Jazz Lab Quintets in 1957.
In August 1963 Wade Legge died of a bleeding stomach ulcer. He was 29 years old.
2 comments:
For “Wade Legge Trio” go here:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/jam145b1yjhi8dg/Wade%20Legge.rar
1 Play, Legge, Play (trad.) 3:13
2 Flabbee-Do (Legge) 3:33
3 Bagdad Express (Legge) 4:07
4 I Only Have Eyes for You (Warren, Dubin) 3:17
5 Perdido (Tizol) 3:05
6 Dream a Little Dream of Me (Schwartz) 3:14
7 Wade Leg’s Blues (Legge) 3:40
8 A Swedish Folksong (Dear Old Stockholm) (trad.) 3:09
9 Dance of the Infidels (Powell) 3:12
10 Aren’t You Glad You’re You (Burke, Van Heusen) 3:13
11 These Foolish Things (Marvell, Strachey, Link) 2:50
12 Why Don’t You Believe Me (Douglas, Laney) 2:48
13 Sweet Sue, Just You (Harris, Young) 2:38
14 All the Things You Are (Kern, Hammerstein II) 3:32
15 The Squirrel (Dameron) 3:09
16 Gene’s Stew (Legge) 5:22
17 Spice (Legge) 4:24
18 Music House (Legge) 4:35
19 Joyce’s Choice (Legge) 4:22
20 Spice (Legge) 2:38
21 Bradley’s Beans (Legge) 3:18
22 Sugar Hips (Legge) 3:21
Personnel
[# 1-15]
Wade Legge - p
Lou Hackney - b
Al Jones - dr
Guests
Joe Carroll - vcl [# 13]
Bill Graham - bs [# 13]
Lars Gullin - bs [# 14 & 15]
Recorded in Stockholm ; February 3, 1953 [# 14-15] ; & February 10, 1953 [# 1-4] ; Paris ; February 27, 1953 [# 5-12] ; February 28, 1953 [# 13]
[# 6-19]
Joe Roland - vb
Wade Legge - p
Dante Martucci - b
Ron Jefferson - dr
Recorded in New York ; October 17, 1954
[# 20-22]
Phil Sunkel - tp
Jr. Monterose - ts
Wade Legge - p
Doug Watkins - b
Bill Bradley Jr., - dr
Recorded in New York ; February 25, 1955
A big thanks to Melanchthon @ ploomysunday.blog for original post
Thank You. Been looking for this LP for years
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