Eddie Chamblee born 24 February 1920

Edwin Leon “Eddie” Chamblee (February 24, 1920 – May 1, 1999), known as Eddie "Long Gone" Chamblee, was an American tenor and alto saxophonist, and occasional vocalist, who played jazz and R&B. 

Eddie Chamblee was born, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Robert Chamblee, a prominent life insurance executive, and his wife. Around 1928, the family relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana, where Robert Chamblee served as president of the Citizens Life Insurance Company. The family later moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Eddie spent much of his formative years in a supportive, upwardly mobile household that emphasized education and stability. 

Chamblee began his musical journey in Chicago after his family relocated there from Indianapolis around the early 1930s, where he took up the saxophone at the age of 12. This early start laid the foundation for his lifelong engagement with the instrument, initially balancing music with academic pursuits. During his time at Wendell Phillips High School, Chamblee honed his skills on both the tenor and alto saxophones through participation in school ensembles and amateur performances within the local community. 

                                    

These formative experiences in Chicago's vibrant music scene exposed him to jazz pioneers and helped develop his technical proficiency before he pursued higher education in law at Chicago State University. Although music was initially a secondary interest amid his studies, family encouragement and self-taught practice amid the city's jazz milieu solidified his passion for the saxophone. This period marked the beginning of Chamblee's transition from amateur enthusiast to aspiring professional, shaped by the rich cultural environment of 1930s Chicago. 

During World War II, Eddie Chamblee enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and served until his discharge in 1946, performing in various army bands where he contributed jazz arrangements on tenor saxophone. Following his military service, Chamblee returned to Chicago and formed his own small combo in 1946.  In 1948, he gained significant recognition as the featured tenor saxophonist on pianist Sonny Thompson's instrumental "Long Gone, Parts 1 & 2," recorded for Miracle Records and on its follow-up, "Late Freight", credited to the Sonny Thompson Quintet featuring Eddie Chamblee. Both records reached no. 1 on the national Billboard R&B chart earning Chamblee the enduring nickname "Long Gone" from its title. 

Two follow-up records, "Blue Dreams" and "Back Street", also made the R&B chart in 1949. By the early 1950s, as big bands declined in popularity amid economic shifts and the rise of smaller combos, Chamblee adapted to more intimate jump blues outfits, maintaining his emphasis on energetic solos and rhythmic drive in live club performances across Chicago, blending swing jazz with emerging R&B elements, before he transitioned to larger ensembles later in the decade. From 1953 to 1955, he performed notable residencies in Indianapolis at George's Bar on Indiana Avenue, gaining local fame for acrobatic stage antics like playing while swinging from the rafters. 

Other key 78s included "Cradle Rock" (1951, Federal), "Walkin' Home" (1953, United), and "Come On In" (1954, United), often backed by pianists like Johnny Young and drummers such as Osie Johnson or Larry Jackson. By the late 1950s, his singles output shifted to 45s like "Goin' Long" (1957, Mercury) and "Strollin' Sax" (1958, Mercury), distributed through larger networks but with modest chart impact compared to the 1940s boom. 

In 1955 he joined Lionel Hampton's band for two years, touring in Europe, before returning to lead his own group in Chicago. He accompanied both Amos Milburn and Lowell Fulson on some of their recordings, and then worked as accompanist to Dinah Washington on many of her successful recordings in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The two performed vocal duets in a style similar to that later adopted by Washington with Brook Benton, and were briefly married; he was her fifth husband. Chamblee also recorded for the Mercury and EmArcy labels, and with his own group in the early 1960s for the Roulette and Prestige labels. 

In the 1970s, he rejoined Hampton for tours of Europe, where he also played with Milt Buckner, and he recorded for the French Black & Blue label. He also performed with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1982, and from the 1980s until his death with the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, as well as in clubs in New York City. 

He died in New York in 1999, at the age of 79 from natural causes. 

(Edited from Grokipedia) 

Here’s a clip of Flying Home Live in Sesjun 1978, with Lionel Hampton - vibraphone, Wild Bill Davis - organ, Joe Nerman - trumpet, Eddie Chamblee - alto/tenor sax, Paul Moen - tenorsax, Billy Mackel - guitar, Barry Smith - bass, Frankie Dunlop - drums