Julian Dash born 9 April 1916

Julian Dash (9 April 1916 – 25 February 1974) was an American swing music jazz tenor saxophonist born in Charleston, South Carolina, probably better known for his work with Erskine Hawkins and Buck Clayton. 

Bennett St. Julian Dash was born in Charleston, Southern California. He was the oldest of seven sons of Ethel Capers and Charles St. Julian Dash. His elementary school experience started at Shaw School and was completed at Avery Institute where he graduated. He learned the saxophone by imitating the sounds of jazz bands at the family-owned Dash Hall on 148 Smith Street in Charleston – a popular dance emporium at the time; played tenor in The Revellers and The Alabama State Collegians at Alabama State Teachers College in 1934-36. He also played alto with the Night Hawk’s Orchestra, the Royal Crusaders, and the Carolina Cotton Pickers, a seminal Charleston band established by former Jenkins Orphanage Band musicians. 

He joined Erskine Hawkins in 1938 as a tenor saxophonist with his orchestra and led a remarkable 20-year career with the orchestra; played with Erskine Hawkins Orchestra as the house band for the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem; composed “Tuxedo Junction” in 1939 with Erskine Hawkins and William Johnson. With Hawkins, he is featured on many recordings including “No Soap”, “Dolomite”, and “Swinging on Lenox Avenue.”

                              

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Julian Dash recorded for “Sittin' In With” records and later was on the Vee Jay label with his sextets. His renditions of "Devil's Lament" and "Dance of the Mother Bird" and his "Zig Zag" were hits in the local community. 

When Erskine Hawkins reduced the size of his group in 1950s, Dash became a part-time player. He can be heard at his best in 1953 on two of the Buck Clayton Jam Sessions in which extended versions of songs (The Huckle-Buck to 63 choruses) were recorded by Vanguard to exploit the newly developed length of LP records. All of the six sessions were later released by Columbia as thematic album LPs and by Lone Hill as CDs, also in complete versions by Mosaic. He also recorded with Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, and Jay McShann. 

He worked with the Marlowe Morris Trio in the '60s, and led his own quintet in 1970 and 1971.On 6 March 1972, Dash recorded prominently with fellow tenor saxist Buddy Tate as one of Jay McShann's All-Stars on seven titles of Kansas City-styled tunes after which he retired. 

He died on February 25, 1974 at the Columbia – Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City and is laid to rest in the Humane Friendly Cemetery in Charleston. 

 (Edited from Facebook, Wikipedia, AllMusic & Charleston Jazz)