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GADD, STEVE (1945– ). A drummer, Steve Gadd started learning to play at the age of three, and at age 11 he sat in with Dizzy Gillespie. His first professional gig was with Chuck Mangione (1971–1972) after which Gadd moved to New York where he picked up studio work and joined Chick Corea’s Return to Forever. During the 1970s and the 1980s, Gadd worked with a variety of popular music artists such as Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder, and jazz artists including Corea, Eddie Gomez, and the Manhattan Jazz Quintet. He also formed his own group in 1986 named Gadd’s Gang that included Jon Faddis and Ronnie Cuber, among others. Gadd continues to record and tour with many popular artists.

GALAXIE DREAM BAND. A group formed by German vibes player Gunter Hampel in 1972.

GALAXY. A record label founded in 1964 in Berkeley, California. Artists it recorded include Sonny Stitt, Milt Jackson, Chet Baker, Nat Adderley, Roy Haynes, Philly Joe Jones, and others.

GALBRAITH, (JOSEPH) BARRY (1919–1983). A guitarist, Barry Galbraith got his start when he moved to New York in 1941. During his time there he played with Art Tatum, Red Norvo, and others before joining Claude Thornhill’s band from 1941 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1947. During the 1950s and 1960s, Galbraith spent his time as a studio musician, playing with notable musicians including Benny Goodman, Tal Farlow, Helen Merrill, Coleman Hawkins, Phil Woods, Billie Holiday, Eric Dolphy, Gil Evans, Stan Kenton, and many others, finishing the 1960s with a stint in the Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1969. During the 1970s Galbraith focused on teaching and published his Barry Galbraith Guitar Study Series in 1982. See also GUITAR.

GALE, ERIC (1938–1994). A guitarist, Eric Gale started playing when he was 12 and spent his formative years playing in various Rhythm and Blues (R&B) groups. In the 1960s he played with Jimmy Smith, David “Fathead” Newman, Clark Terry, Sonny Stitt, Aretha Franklin, and others, and in 1970 he became the guitarist for the CTI label. During the 1970s he also recorded albums under his own name, played with Stanley Turrentine, and formed the group Stuff with Steve Gadd. He continued to play throughout the 1980s and 1990s before passing away from lung cancer.

GALPER, HAL (1938– ). A pianist, Hal Galper was trained classically before attending the Berklee College of Music from 1955 to 1958. Galper moved to Boston in 1959, and into the early 1960s his activities included performances with Sam Rivers, Tony Williams, and Chet Baker. He moved to New York in 1967 and worked as a freelance musician with Phil Woods, Donald Byrd, Stan Getz, Chuck Mangione, Anita O’Day, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, and others. From 1973 to 1975 he played electric piano with Cannonball Adderley, and in the later 1970s he established his own quintet with Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, Wayne Dockery, and Billy Hart. Galper joined Phil Woods on a permanent basis in 1980, playing in his quintet through 1990. During the 1990s, Galper recorded with Tim Hagans and Jerry Bergonzi.

GANELIN, VYACHESLAV SHEVELEVICH (1944– ). A Russian pianist, Vyacheslav Ganelin started playing in dance bands in the early 1960s before forming his own trio in 1964. In 1969 he and Vladimir Tarasov founded the Ganelin Trio, changing the name to the G-T-Ch Trio after being joined by Vladimir Chekasin in 1971. The group toured the world and performed Free Jazz before disbanding in 1987. Ganelin immigrated to Israel in 1987 where he taught and led his own groups.

GARANYAN, GEORGY ARAMOVICH (1934–2010). A Russian alto saxophonist, Georgy Garanyan taught himself to play before leading an octet in the mid-1950s. From 1958 to 1966 he was the soloist and arranger for Oleg Lundstrem, and he also toured and led his own quintet. He continued to lead various orchestras during the 1970s and wrote music for many films. In 1991 he formed the Moscow Big Band, and in 1998 he became the conductor of the Georgy Garanian Municipal Big Band Moskva-Krasnodar. He continues to record, tour, and lead his own various small groups. See also SAXOPHONE.

GARBAREK, JAN (1947– ). A tenor saxophonist and soprano saxophonist, Jan Garbarek taught himself to play both instruments after hearing John Coltrane on the radio. In 1965 he was discovered by George Russell, with whom he would make his first recording the next year. He continued to perform with Russell during the early 1970s and formed his own trio in 1973. Garbarek joined Keith Jarrett’s quartet in 1977 and later continued to tour with his own groups. His album Officium was a success on both the jazz and Classical charts in 1993, and in 1995 Visible World was also a hit. See also SAXOPHONE.

GARCIA, RUSS(ELL) (1916–2011). A trumpet player and composer, Garcia studied composition first at San Francisco State College and later at Westlake College in Los Angeles. Although he played in a few dance bands and recorded West Coast–style jazz albums as a leader from 1955 to 1957, he is known more for his compositions and arrangements. Garcia has arranged for Buddy DeFranco, Charlie Barnet, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Hodges, Ray Brown, and Stan Kenton, in addition to composing Third Stream pieces and for television and film. See also WEST COAST JAZZ.

GARNER, ERROLL LOUIS (1921–1977). A pianist, Erroll Garner taught himself to play the piano and never learned to read music. Garner spent his early years playing in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before moving to New York in 1944, where he regularly subbed for Art Tatum before joining Slam Stewart’s trio in 1945. Thereafter he formed his own trio, which included bass and drum set, and he would perform in this format or as a soloist for the rest of his life. Garner developed a completely unique and individual style that was aided by his own virtuosic technique. He is also known for composing the well-known ballad “Misty.”

GARRISON, ARV(IN) CHARLES (1922–1960). A self-taught guitarist, Garrison started leading his own groups in 1941. In 1946 he recorded albums with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker before touring with his wife, bassist Vivien Garry. During the 1950s, Garrison continued to perform in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. See also GUITAR.

GARRISON, JIMMY (1934–1976). A bassist, Jimmy Garrison began his career when he and Philly Joe Jones moved to New York in 1958. Garrison played with several musicians, including Benny Golson, Elvin Jones, Lennie Tristano, and Stan Getz before joining Ornette Coleman’s group in 1961. Later in 1961 he joined John Coltrane’s quartet and played with Coltrane until his death in 1967. After Coltrane’s death, Garrison performed with Jones, Archie Shepp, and Alice Coltrane, and he taught at Bennington College and Wesleyan University. Garrison died from lung cancer. See also BASS.

GAZELL. A record label formed in 1949 in Stockholm, Sweden, that released many Swedish jazz albums during the 1950s. The label was purchased by Sonet; in 1986 it was re-formed with some of the original catalog. Sonet also released new jazz and non-jazz albums.

GELLER, HERB(ERT) (1928– ). A saxophonist, Herb Geller played with Joe Venuti in Los Angeles before moving to New York in 1949. While in New York, Geller played and recorded with Claude Thornhill in 1950, but by 1951 Geller married and moved back to Los Angeles. During the 1950s, Geller performed with Billy May, Chet Baker, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Holman, Benny Goodman, and Louie Bellson before moving to Germany in 1962. From 1965 to 1994, Geller performed, composed, and arranged for the Norddeutscher Rundfunk or NDR, in addition to doing radio work, composing, and performing with various other European groups. See also EUROPE.

GENE NORMAN PRESENTS. A label founded by Gene Norman in 1953, also known as GNP or GNP-Crescendo. Artists include Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, and Lionel Hampton, among others. See also RECORD LABEL.

GENNETT. A record label and company that began issuing records in 1917 that was active until 1934. Artists included the New Orleans Jazz Band, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, King Oliver, and Jelly Roll Morton, among others. See also RECORD LABEL.

GEORGIA WASHBOARD STOMPERS. A name also used by the members of the Washboard Rhythm Kings, the group featured spirited vocals, horns, a washboard player, and occasionally kazoo, in addition to traditional instruments including guitar, trumpet, and clarinet.

GETZ, STAN (1927–1991). A tenor saxophonist, Stan Getz played several other instruments before settling on the tenor at the age of 15. By the age of 16 he was already touring with Jack Teagarden, and he played with a string of big bands including Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman before joining Woody Herman and becoming a member of Herman’s famous reed section, the Four Brothers. In 1949 he formed his own groups and spent the 1950s performing and touring despite a drug habit. Getz spent 1958 to 1960 in Europe, and in 1962, after moving back to the United States, Getz and Charlie Byrd helped to inspire the Bossa Nova craze. His recordings from this period are some of his most famous, including the Grammy-winning Getz/Gilberto, with the classic rendition of “The Girl from Ipanema,” featuring Astrud Gilberto. Getz continued to lead small groups throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s in a variety of different styles and was active up until his death in 1991 from cancer.

GHB. A record label and subsidiary of Jazzology founded in 1954.

GHOST BAND. The name given to a band that continues to perform after its leader/founder is deceased. Examples include the still-active bands of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.

GHOST(ED) NOTE. A stylistic interpretation in jazz where a note is implied through various techniques rather than physically sounded.

GIBBS, MICHAEL “MIKE” (1937– ). Originally born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Mike Gibbs started playing the trombone at age 17 before moving to the United States in 1959 to study music, studying with George Russell and J. J. Johnson. In 1965 Gibbs moved to England and performed with Graham Collier and John Dankworth and established a reputation as a composer and arranger. From 1974 to 1953, Gibbs was composer-in-residence at the Berklee School of Music, during which time he continued to perform and also to work as a record producer. After resigning from Berklee in 1983, Gibbs moved back to England in 1985 and worked with Dankworth, Pat Metheny, and John McLaughlin. Gibbs directed the Creative Jazz Orchestra during the 1990s and recorded with John Scofield. See also EUROPE.

GIG. The term used as a noun for a performance or engagement, or as a verb referring to performing at an engagement.

GILBERTO, ASTRUD (1940– ). A Brazilian singer, she is most known for her singing on “The Girl from Ipanema,” which she recorded in 1963 with Stan Getz, João Gilberto (then her husband), and Antônio Carlos Jobim. She recorded several albums in the Bossa Nova style throughout her career. In the early 1980s she performed in New York with Jerry Dodgion, and throughout the 1990s she continued to tour in groups that included her son, Marcelo Gilberto (a bass player).

GILBERTO, JOÃO (1931– ). A Brazilian singer and guitar player, João Gilberto moved to Rio de Janeiro at age 18 and soon began working with Antônio Carlos Jobim. In 1962, Gilberto moved to New York and the year after began collaborating with Stan Getz, resulting in the album Getz/Gilberto, the iconic album of the Bossa Nova craze that swept the United States and the world in the early 1960s. From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, Gilberto resided in Mexico before moving back to the United States, where he continues to perform and record.

GILLESPIE, JOHN “DIZZY” (1917–1993). John Birks Gillespie started playing the trombone before switching to the trumpet at the age of 12. Largely self-taught, Gillespie received a scholarship to an agricultural school in North Carolina, but in 1935 he dropped out of school and moved to Philadelphia to play music. While in Philadelphia, he got his first gig with Frankie Fairfax’s band, and his antics earned him the nickname Dizzy. It was in this band that Dizzy also began to imitate the playing of fellow trumpeter Roy Eldridge, learning the style from fellow sideman Charlie Shavers.

Gillespie moved to New York in 1937 and took Eldridge’s spot in Teddy Hill’s band, due in part to his skillful imitation of Eldridge’s style. In 1939, Gillespie joined Cab Calloway’s band and met trumpeter Mario Bauza, a friendship that would help to shape Gillespie’s later experiments in Afro-Cuban Jazz. Gillespie met Charlie Parker in 1940 and was soon participating in the storied jam sessions at Minton’s Playhouse in New York, the early proving grounds of the Bebop style. Gillespie’s antics eventually led to Calloway dismissing him from his band in 1941, and through the rest of the early 1940s, Gillespie would continue to perfect his new Bebop style in his own groups or in groups led by Lucky Millinder or Earl Hines.

In 1944, Gillespie joined Billy Eckstine’s band, and then in 1945 he formed a quintet with Parker that produced seminal Bebop albums that introduced the entire world to this new form of jazz. Also in 1945, he formed his first big band, a short-lived venture that would lead to him forming a much more successful big band in 1946. That orchestra would introduce Chano Pozo and with it the Afro-Cuban Jazz style with songs like “Manteca” and “Cubana Be/Cubana Bop.” Work would continue with that band until 1950 when the orchestra was forced to disband, but Gillespie would go on to play with small groups throughout the early 1950s, including contests with his former idol Eldridge and records with J. J. Johnson and a young John Coltrane. Also during the 1950s, another defining incident in his life occurred—according to one story, in 1953 a dancer tripped over Gillespie’s trumpet at a party. The bell was bent upward at an angle, and Gillespie had to finish the gig; much to his surprise he discovered he liked the change. The angle allowed him to hear himself better and allowed him to project his sound to the audience while he was leaning down to read music, and soon he had a trumpet designed that included the bent bell. It became his signature instrument for the rest of his life.

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower asked Gillespie to lead a jazz band on a State Department–sponsored tour of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The tour was successful, and another tour was organized to South America. Both bands contained many excellent young jazz musicians, including Lee Morgan, Wynton Kelly, Benny Golson, and others. Through the 1960s, Gillespie continued to lead his own small groups, and in the early 1970s, Gillespie toured with the Giants of Jazz. Gillespie appeared at jazz festivals throughout the 1980s, playing with young trumpet players Jon Faddis and Wynton Marsalis. Gillespie continued to play until 1992.

As a creator of the Bebop style, Gillespie was not only influential for his playing, but also his teaching. He was known as a great teacher of the music, and he helped to pass the new style on to many other musicians throughout his life. His influence on jazz ranks with Louis Armstrong and places him among the greatest musicians in jazz history.

GILMORE, STEVE (1943– ). Although he studied briefly with Ray Brown, Steve Gilmore largely taught himself to play the bass around the age of 12. By the age of 14, he was working professionally and got his first notable professional job performing with Ira Sullivan in 1967. During the 1970s, Gilmore also played with Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, Richie Cole, and the Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Orchestra, and in 1974 he began an association with Phil Woods. Gilmore has been a mainstay of Woods’ quintet ever since, although he has performed and recorded with a few other artists including Tom Harrell, Hal Galper, and Dave Liebman.

GILT-EDGE. A record label founded in 1944 in Los Angeles. Most of the catalog contained records by Cecil Gant.

GITLER, IRA (1928– ). A writer, Ira Gitler attended the University of Missouri and Columbia University before working at Prestige Records from 1950 to 1955. He is known for The Encyclopedia of Jazz of which he was the assistant writer with Leonard Feather, in addition to The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Sixties, The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Seventies, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, and writing for several publications including DownBeat, Jazz Times, and others.

GIUFFRE, JIMMY (1921–2008). A clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger, Jimmy Giuffre started writing music for Boyd Raeburn before he joined Jimmy Dorsey in 1947 as a composer and performer. Later that year Giuffre composed and arranged “Four Brothers” for the Woody Herman band to feature the reed section, and in 1949 he joined the band as a performer. During the 1950s, Giuffre played with Howard Rumsey, Shorty Rogers and his Giants, and formed his own group (which would later include Bob Brookmeyer), in addition to teaching at the Lenox School of Jazz. In the 1960s, Giuffre began to move toward Free Jazz with his trio that included Paul Bley and Steve Swallow. He would perform with various versions of this group throughout the 1970s, incorporating world music into his performances. In the 1980s, Giuffre began performing on soprano saxophone, flute, and bass flute and continued to tour with various groups, sometimes playing Bebop but eventually shifting to electronic instruments after being influenced by the band Weather Report. During the 1990s he continued to play and taught for a time at the New England Conservatory of Music, but he was eventually forced to retire due to Parkinson’s disease. See also SAXOPHONE.

GLEASON, RALPH (1917–1975). A writer, Ralph Gleason founded one of the first jazz periodicals in the United States, Jazz Information, in 1939, and wrote for DownBeat magazine from 1948 to 1961. From 1950 until his death in 1975, Gleason wrote about jazz and popular music for the San Francisco Chronicle, and in 1967 he was a founder of the magazine Rolling Stone. He was also a founding member of the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958.

GLISS(ANDO). A quick, sliding movement either before a pitch, after a pitch, or most commonly between pitches in a musical passage.

GLOBE UNITY ORCHESTRA. A big band formed in Germany in 1966 by Alexander Von Schlippenbach to perform his piece “Globe Unity.” The band continued to tour throughout the 1970s and 1980s and performed a varied repertoire, including standards, compositions by members of the band, and free improvisations. Among the members of the band were Kenny Wheeler, Steve Lacy, and many others.

GLOW, BERNIE (1926–1982). A lead trumpet player, Bernie Glow began playing the trumpet at the age of nine. Glow played with Artie Shaw from 1945 to 1946, Boyd Raeburn in 1947, and Woody Herman from 1947 to 1950. From the 1950s on he was primarily a studio musician, recording with Benny Goodman, Bob Brookmeyer, Miles Davis and Gil Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, and several others.

GNP. See GENE NORMAN PRESENTS.

GOLD, HARRY (1907–2005). A bandleader, tenor saxophonist, and bass saxophonist, Harry Gold played with a few British jazz bands before joining Oscar Rabin in 1939. Gold formed a small group within Rabin’s band named the Pieces of Eight that was a very successful Dixieland group. Gold eventually relinquished leadership of the band in 1957 but continued to play with the group while he worked freelance with other bandleaders. In 1975 he revived the band, toured internationally, and made several more recordings. The band disbanded in 1991, but Gold continued to perform until shortly before his death. See also EARLY JAZZ; ENGLAND; SAXOPHONE.

GOLDENE SIEBEN. A band formed in 1934 in Berlin with some of the best musicians in the city. Die Goldene Sieben recorded many albums for the Electrola label, made several radio broadcasts, and even appeared on film, but was contractually prohibited from performing in public.

GOLSON, BENNY (1929– ). Golson started playing the tenor saxophone at the age of 14, and in 1951 he worked with Bullmoose Jackson. While in Jackson’s band, he met Tadd Dameron, who would greatly influence Golson’s writing style. From 1953 to 1954, Golson played with Dameron’s band, then played with Lionel Hampton and Earl Bostic before landing in Dizzy Gillespie’s big band from 1956 to 1958. After Gillespie’s band, Golson played with Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers from 1958 to 1959, then led many of his own groups before he and Art Farmer formed the Jazztet in 1962. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, Golson rarely played and focused on writing and arranging music for film and television. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he resumed performing more frequently, leading his own groups and performing in several reunions with Blakey and with the Jazztet. Golson continued to play in various reunion bands throughout the 1990s in addition to continuing to lead his own groups. He is known for some of his compositions including “I Remember Clifford,” “Whisper Not,” “Stablemates,” and “Killer Joe,” which have all achieved status as jazz standards.

GOMEZ, EDDIE (1944– ). A bassist, Eddie Gomez started playing bass at the age of 11 after moving to New York from Puerto Rico. He performed with Marian McPartland from 1963 to 1966 and toured briefly with Gary McFarland, in addition to recording with Gerry Mulligan. Gomez left Mulligan’s group to play in pianist Bill Evans’ trio, a group with whom Gomez would record and perform until 1977. Gomez then performed with the bands Steps Ahead, New Directions, and Special Edition, in addition to playing with Chick Corea and many others. In the 1980s, Gomez was a member of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet and also Gadd’s Gang, and has remained an active performer since.

GONSALVES, PAUL (1920–1974). A tenor saxophonist, Paul Gonsalves performed in a couple bands before he joined Count Basie’s band in 1946. Gonsalves played with Basie until 1949 and then joined Dizzy Gillespie’s big band until 1950. From 1950 on, Gonsalves performed with the Duke Ellington big band, and it was with this band that Gonsalves made his claim to fame—a 27-chorus Blues solo on “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue” at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival that elevated him to stardom and helped to resurrect Ellington’s career. Gonzalves continued to play with Ellington and was a regularly featured soloist in the band, and he also recorded as a sideman with musicians including Sonny Stitt and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis.

GOODMAN, BENJAMIN DAVID “BENNY” (1909–1986). From a poor family in Chicago, Benny Goodman was pushed to take up a musical instrument by his parents, and by 1919 he was receiving formal training from Classical clarinetist Franz Schoepp. In 1925, Goodman moved to Los Angeles to play with Ben Pollack, and then he settled in New York in 1928. While in New York he worked with Red Nichols and Paul Whiteman. In 1934, Goodman formed his first big band for an extended appearance at Billy Rose’s Music Hall. The gig dried up after a few months, but Goodman managed to land a spot on the NBC Radio Show Let’s Dance, which allowed Goodman to feature his band performing arrangements by Fletcher Henderson. When the show ended, Goodman took the band on tour, the beginning of which was not promising despite the band’s popularity. However, the band’s final performance at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles on August 21, 1935, caused a sensation and marked the beginning of the Swing era in the United States.

Goodman performed and toured with his band into 1936, and during this time he also started a trio that featured himself, Gene Krupa, and Teddy Wilson. Although this was not the first racially integrated group in jazz, Goodman’s immense popularity made it the most visible. He later expanded the group to a quartet with the addition of Lionel Hampton, and his band contained some of the best musicians of the time, including Harry James, Ziggy Elman, Vernon Brown, and others. Goodman was soon labeled the “King of Swing” after a successful performance at Carnegie Hall in 1938, and he also began performing Classical music, including works by Wolfgang Mozart, and Contrast, a piece Goodman commissioned from Béla Bartók. Illness forced him to disband the group in 1940, but he re-formed the group a few months later, including increasing his quartet to a septet and adding guitar player Charlie Christian.

Goodman continued to perform throughout the duration of World War II, and by 1947 the final version of his traveling band had begun to concede territory to the Bebop movement as his band now included Fats Navarro and Doug Mettome. After disbanding the group in 1949, Goodman continued to lead various small groups and tour internationally, notably with tours to South America, the Soviet Union, and Japan. Goodman would spend the 1960s and 1970s touring with bands and having various reunion concerts with Krupa, Wilson, and Hampton.

GOOD TIME JAZZ. A record label and company founded in 1949 in Los Angeles. Later acquired by Fantasy, artists included Jelly Roll Morton, Willie “the Lion” Smith, Bunk Johnson, and Kid Ory, among others. See also RECORD LABEL.

GOODWIN, BILL (1942– ). A primarily self-taught drummer, Bill Goodwin started playing the drum set at the age of 13. His first professional experience was with Charles Lloyd in 1959; thereafter he played with many musicians including Bud Shank, Frank Rosolino, Art Pepper, George Shearing, Gary Burton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, and others. From 1974 through the present day, Goodwin has been a member of Phil Woods’ band, and from 1979 he has also worked as a producer for Woods, Tom Harrell, and others.

GOOFUS. A type of keyboard harmonica, it is mainly a novelty instrument. Air is blown through a tube while the keyboard itself is laid flat. Jazz musicians who have played the goofus include Adrian Rollini and Don Redman. See also GOOFUS FIVE.

GOOFUS FIVE. A band led by Adrian Rollini in the 1920s that included the goofus in some of their pieces.

GORDON, DEXTER (1923–1990). A tenor saxophone player, Gordon got his start playing with Lionel Hampton from 1940 to 1943, and his first experience as a leader on a recording session was with Nat “King” Cole playing the piano. He worked briefly in 1944 for Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, and Billy Eckstine, and by then he was starting to become recognized as an important figure in the new Bebop style. Dexter spent the next few years alternating on the east and west coasts of the United States and recording a series of records with Wardell Gray, the two of them “dueling” on the saxophone. His career was sidelined during the early 1950s due to narcotic addiction, and his output during the 1950s was sporadic. In 1962 a successful tour of Europe led to Gordon moving there for the next 14 years, performing at jazz festivals and touring extensively. In 1976 he decided to return to the United States, and for his first performance back at the Village Vanguard in New York, there were lines of eager fans around the block. Gordon also appeared in the film Round Midnight in 1986, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. See also CUTTING CONTEST; EUROPE.

GOYENS, AL(PHONSE) (1920– ). A trumpet player, baritone saxophonist, and bandleader, Goyens led his own band from 1946 to 1958, which included Don Byas, Kenny Clarke, and others. After 1958, Goyens toured and performed with an international orchestra, and in the early 1990s he played and arranged for the Brussels Big Band. See also EUROPE.

GOYKOVICH, DUSKO (1931– ). A trumpet player, Dusko Goykovich graduated from the Academy of Music in Belgrade in 1953 and performed in Germany before attending the Berklee School of Music from 1961 to 1963. After Berklee, he played with Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman before moving back to Germany. While in Germany, Goykovich performed with the Clarke-Boland Big Band from 1968 to 1973, and in the mid-1970s he co-led a band with Slide Hampton. In the 1980s and 1990s, Goykovich continued to lead his own groups and record.

GOZZO, CONRAD JOSEPH (1922–1964). A lead trumpet player, Conrad Gozzo studied trumpet from his father and eventually replaced one of his father’s other students in Isham Jones’ big band in 1938. Gozzo spent time with the bands of Claude Thornhill, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Goodman again, and then Woody Herman. From 1947 to 1951 he performed on Bob Crosby’s radio broadcasts and with Jerry Gray. He spent the rest of the 1950s as a studio musician and made recordings with Herman, Shorty Rogers, Stan Kenton, Goodman, and many others.

GRAHAM, BILL (1918– ). An alto and baritone saxophone player, Bill Graham played with Count Basie, Lucky Millinder, and Erskine Hawkins from 1945 to 1946. From 1946 to 1953, Graham toured and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, from 1955 to 1957 with Count Basie, and in 1958 with Duke Ellington on his album Black, Brown and Beige. From the 1960s on, Graham quit touring and became a public school teacher in New York.

GRAMAVISION. A record label and company established in 1979 in Katonah, New York. Artists include John Carter, Anthony Davis, John Scofield, and Medeski Martin & Wood, and current artists including Bill Frisell and Ron Miles.

GRAMERCY FIVE. A group formed by Artie Shaw in 1940 as a small group within his big band and named after the Gramercy telephone exchange in New York. The group recorded several successful albums in the 1940s with a band that included Roy Eldridge on trumpet.

GRAMOPHONE COMPANY. Record company established in 1898 in London. The company was established by Trevor Williams and William Barry Owen, agents of Emile Berliner—the inventor of the disc gramophone. The company was merged in 1931 with Columbia International to form Electrical and Musical Industries (EMI). See also RECORD LABEL.

GRANDE PARADE DU JAZZ. A jazz festival founded by George Wein and held annually from 1974 to 1993 in Nice, France. Artists included Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Count Basie, the Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Orchestra, Buddy Rich, and many others. In 1994, it was replaced by the Nice Music Festival.

GRANZ, NORMAN (1918–2001). A concert promoter and jazz filmmaker, Norman Granz made the film Jammin’ the Blues in 1944, which is still considered as one of the best short films on jazz ever made. Granz established the Jazz at the Philharmonic series in 1944. He also established the record company Verve in 1956 and the record company Pablo in 1973, which he continued to manage in the 1980s. Granz also became manager for some of the artists he promoted, including Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson. See also RECORD LABEL.

GRAPPELLI, STÉPHANE (1908–1997). An important early innovator of the jazz violin, Grappelli was mostly self-taught until formally attending the Paris Conservatory from 1924 to 1928. In 1934 he was a founding member of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with Django Reinhardt; Grappelli would stay with the group until 1939 when he moved to England. While in England, Grappelli worked with George Shearing, but in the 1950s his career slowed. A revived interest in jazz violin caused in part by the album Violin Summit (1966) with Grappelli, Jean-Luc Ponty, Stuff Smith, and Svend Asmussen helped breathe life back into his career, and his performances and records from the 1970s remain definitive examples of jazz violin style. He remained active into the 1990s.

GRAY, JERRY (1915–1976). A composer, arranger, and bandleader, Jerry Gray experienced early success with his version of “Begin the Beguine” for Artie Shaw’s band in 1938. Gray was the chief arranger for Glenn Miller from 1939 to 1945 and took over the band from 1945 to 1946 after Miller’s disappearance. Among his hits from his time with Miller’s band are “Pennsylvania 6–5000” and “A String of Pearls.” Gray led his own radio show in Hollywood from 1946 to 1952, and during the rest of the 1950s he was a freelance arranger and director, writing for films including The Glenn Miller Story (1954). He continued to write and arrange during the 1970s until his death in 1976.

GRAY, WARDELL (1921–1955). A tenor saxophone player, Gray played with Earl Hines in 1943 and joined Billy Eckstine’s band in 1944. He moved to Los Angeles and became known for several jam sessions with Dexter Gordon that resulted in the album The Chase in 1947, followed shortly after by a recording with Charlie Parker. Gray then spent some time in Benny Goodman’s short-lived Bebop big band, and played with Louie Bellson from 1952 to 1953. Gray died under somewhat unusual circumstances, possibly related to his drug addiction.

GREAT GUITARS. A quintet formed by guitarists Barney Kessel, Charlie Byrd, and Herb Ellis in 1974.

GREAT JAZZ TRIO. A group formed by Hank Jones in 1967. Members of the group changed regularly and at one time included Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Shelly Manne, and George Duvivier, among others.

GREEN, BENNIE (1923–1977). A trombone player, Bennie Green got his start playing with Earl Hines in 1942, with whom he would continue to perform off and on during the 1950s. Green also played with Charlie Ventura in the late 1940s. Green worked as a leader throughout the 1950s and 1960s, employing at various times Paul Chambers, Elvin Jones, and Sonny Clark, in addition to working with a group co-led by Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt. In 1969, Green also performed with Duke Ellington for one of Ellington’s sacred concerts. Following that, Green settled in Las Vegas and worked primarily in hotel and casino house bands.

GREEN, CHARLIE (1900–1936). A trombonist, Charlie Green worked with several brass bands before joining Fletcher Henderson in 1924 with whom he continued to perform off and on. Green also accompanied Bessie Smith on several of her recordings during this period, in addition to appearing on recordings with Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and others. From 1929 through the early 1930s, Green performed with Benny Green and also with Chick Webb. Green froze to death after being locked out of his residence in New York.

GREEN, FREDDIE (1911–1987). A guitarist, Freddie Green originally started on banjo before switching to guitar and playing with Kenny Clarke in 1936. On the recommendation of John Hammond, Green (who later would spell his last name “Greene”) was hired by Count Basie in 1937. Green would continue to perform with Basie for the next 47 years, forming an essential part of Basie’s early All-American Rhythm Section along with Basie, bassist Walter Page, and drummer Jo Jones. Green also contributed to the band as a composer and arranger. Included among his compositions are “Down for Double,” “Right On,” and “Corner Pocket.” After Basie’s death in 1984, Green recorded with other groups, including Manhattan Transfer.

GREEN, GRANT (1935–1979). A guitar player, Grant Green was largely self-taught and spent his early years playing Gospel music and with Rhythm and Blues (R&B) bands. In 1960, Green moved to New York and helped establish the organ trio instrumentation of guitar, organ, and drum set. Green recorded many albums during the 1960s with artists including Lou Donaldson, Stanley Turrentine, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, and many others. Green took a break from music in the mid- to late 1960s but resumed playing in the 1970s, although his drug addiction somewhat limited his output.

GREEN, URBIE (1926– ). A trombone player, Green played in a wartime draft band before joining Gene Krupa from 1947 to 1950. From 1950 to 1953, Green played with Woody Herman, and in the mid-1950s Green joined Benny Goodman, sometimes leading the band when Goodman was unable. Green also worked as a bandleader during the late 1950s, and he took over Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra following Dorsey’s death in 1966. He continued to play during the 1990s, recording an album with his son and Chris Potter in 1995.

GREENE, BOB (1922– ). A piano player and bandleader, Bob Greene got his start playing with Baby Dodds before recording with Conrad Janis, Sidney DeParis, and Johnny Wiggs in the early 1950s. He worked as a writer for radio documentaries and wrote speeches for Lyndon Johnson and Robert Kennedy, and after Kennedy’s assassination in 1968, he returned to playing jazz as his profession. In 1969 he performed a tribute to Jelly Roll Morton, and by 1971 he was leading a re-creation of Morton’s Red Hot Peppers. The band stayed active during the 1990s and toured extensively, including in the United States, South America, and Europe.

GREER, SONNY (1895–1982). A drummer, Sonny Greer met Duke Ellington in 1919 while working as a member of the orchestra at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. In 1922 he became a member of Elmer Snowden’s Washingtonians, the group that became Ellington’s orchestra. He was instrumental in developing the “jungle sounds” that made Ellington’s run at the Cotton Club in New York such a success. Greer played with Ellington through 1951 before he was asked to leave the band. Afterwards, Greer freelanced with many musicians including ex-Ellington band members Johnny Hodges, Tyree Glenn, and J. C. Higginbotham. Greer led his own bands throughout the 1960s and was active in the 1970s and early 1980s until his death.

GREY, AL(BERT) THORNTON (1925–2000). A trombonist, Al Grey started playing with U.S. Navy bands during World War II. After appearing with Benny Carter (1945–1946) and Jimmie Lunceford (1946–1947), Grey joined Lionel Hampton from 1948 to 1953. During his time with Hampton, Grey began to solo with a plunger mute, an ability for which he became renowned. Grey played with Dizzy Gillespie from 1956 to 1957 before joining Count Basie from 1957 to 1961, and again from 1964 to 1966 and 1971 to 1977. In between his stints with Basie’s band, Grey led his own groups with sidemen including Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, Bobby Hutcherson, and others. After leaving Basie for the final time in 1977, Grey led a quintet with Jimmy Forrest until Forrest was too ill to perform; the quintet continued with Buddy Tate through 1987 until Tate had a heart attack. From 1988 into the 1990s, Grey led his own group named Al Grey and His Musical Sons, which featured his son and the sons of many other famous jazz musicians. Grey also co-authored a book with his son Mike Grey on plunger technique for trumpet and trombone. See also TROMBONE.

GRIFFIN, JOHNNY (1928–2008). A tenor saxophone player, Johnny Griffin got his start right out of high school, playing with Lionel Hampton’s big band from 1945 to 1947. Griffin then played with Joe Morris from 1947 to 1950, and during that time he also performed with Philly Joe Jones, Arnett Cobb, and others, in addition to playing regularly with Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. He spent 1951 to 1953 in the U.S. Army, moved to Chicago for a few years, and then joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers for a few months in 1957, followed by a few months in Monk’s quartet. Griffin would earn the nickname “tough tenor” while leading a group with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis from 1960 to 1962 through enthusiastic improvisatory competition between the two men. In 1963, Griffin moved to Paris and continued to perform with musicians including Art Taylor, Kenny Clarke, and Bud Powell. Griffin performed with the Clarke-Boland Big Band from 1967 to 1969. During most of the 1970s, Griffin lived in the Netherlands and toured Europe and the United States. During the 1980s, Griffin led his own groups, and in 1992 he performed with the Phillip Morris Superband.

GROFÉ, FERDE (1892–1972). A composer and arranger, Ferde Grofé studied in Germany as a child and arranged for a couple of jazz bands before being hired by Paul Whiteman in 1920. Grofé’s arrangement of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” was so successful that it encouraged Whiteman to expand into the symphonic jazz genre. Grofé’s other successful works include “Mississippi” and “The Grand Canyon Suite.” Grofé left Whiteman in the early 1930s and led his own band in addition to working as an arranger and conductor, and throughout the remainder of his life Grofé also wrote many pieces for symphony and for concert band. Because of the success of his arrangements and the popularity of Whiteman’s band, Grofé was very influential in the development of jazz arranging for much of the 1920s and 1930s.

GROOVE. Used in jazz, it is a term that can refer to the beat or feel of the music. Music that is “in the groove” generally feels good or is enjoyable to listen to, while music that does not “groove” lacks those qualities. Similar to the use of the term swing, it is generally employed as part of an opinion and as such is difficult to define.

GROSSMAN, STEVE (1951– ). A soprano and tenor saxophone player, Steve Grossman was already living in New York, leading his own groups, and even playing with Elvin Jones at the young age of 16. By 1968 he was playing with the Jazz Samaritans, a group that included George Cables and Lenny White, and by 1969 he recorded with Miles Davis. The next year, Grossman replaced Wayne Shorter in Davis’ group. In 1971 he played with Lonnie Smith’s quintet, from 1971 to 1973 he again played with Jones, and in 1975 he was a founding member of Gene Perla’s Stone Alliance. During the 1980s, Grossman led his own groups and performed with musicians including Cedar Walton and Tom Harrell, and from the 1990s, despite moving to Bologna, Italy, Grossman returned frequently to the United States to perform and record.

GROWL. A musical effect employed mostly by brass players, woodwind players, and vocalists. On brass and woodwind instruments, the effect can be created by actually “growling” through the throat while playing, by using a technique known as “flutter-tonguing” (similar to the effect of rolling the letter r in speech), or by some combination of the two techniques. The growl effect was popularized by brass players such as Bubber Miley, Tricky Sam Nanton, and Cootie Williams, each as members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and all using a plunger mute in combination with the growl technique.

GRP (GRUSIN-ROSEN PRODUCTIONS). A record label founded in 1978 by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen. During the 1990s, GRP reissued many old albums from the Impulse! label. Artists recorded under the GRP label include Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval, Michael Brecker, Chick Corea, Billy Cobham, and Dave Grusin himself.

GRUSIN, DAVE (1934– ). A pianist, composer, and record producer, Dave Grusin graduated from the University of Colorado before he was hired by Andy Williams to be the pianist and musical director for his band, a job Grusin held from 1959 to 1964. Grusin also played with Benny Goodman and Thad Jones during this time, but most importantly he began a long Academy Award–winning career of writing music for television and films. During the 1970s he recorded with singers Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae, and in 1978 he founded the GRP record label with drummer Larry Rosen. He managed the label until 1994 while continuing to arrange music for television and film. Grusin has been nominated for many Academy Awards and won an Oscar in 1989 for his work on The Milagro Beanfield War.

GRYCE, GIGI (1925–1983). An alto saxophone player and composer, Gigi Gryce started playing in local bands during the late 1940s. Gryce studied composition at the Boston Conservatory in 1948 and then in Paris with Arthur Honegger and Nadia Boulanger. After moving to New York in 1952, Gryce performed and wrote for Max Roach, Tadd Dameron, and Clifford Brown, and then he joined Lionel Hampton’s band that toured Europe in 1953. In 1954 he performed in groups with Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, and Art Blakey. In the late 1950s, Gryce led his own groups, but during the 1960s and 1970s, Gryce taught public school in New York. Gryce composed many Classical pieces; among his well-known jazz compositions are “Minority” and “Nica’s Tempo.”

GUARALDI, VINCE(NT) ANTHONY (1928–1976). A piano player and composer, Guaraldi played with Cal Tjader, Bill Harris, Georgie Auld, Sonny Criss, Woody Herman, Frank Rosolino, and Conte Candoli during the 1950s, and by the 1960s he was working as a leader in addition to composing. In 1962, Guaraldi won the Grammy Award for Best Original Jazz Composition for his song “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” but he remains best known for composing the music to the popular Charlie Brown Peanuts cartoon.

GUARDSMAN. Record label established in 1914 in London. The label lasted until 1928; notable musicians included Fletcher Henderson.

GUARNIERI, JOHNNY (1917–1985). A piano player, Johnny Guarnieri met Art Tatum, Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Willie “the Lion” Smith early in his life, all of whom would be influential on his style. From 1939 through the early 1940s, Guarnieri played for a time with Benny Goodman and then joined Artie Shaw’s Gramercy Five, where he played harpsichord. He played at the famous jam sessions at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem during the early 1940s and also played during that time with Charlie Christian as a member of Goodman’s small group. After spending 1942–1943 with Jimmy Dorsey’s orchestra, Guarnieri spent the rest of the 1940s playing and recording with a variety of artists including Cozy Cole, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, and Louis Armstrong. During the 1950s and 1960s, he appeared in several television shows including The Today Show, Art Ford’s Jazz Party, and After Hours. From the 1960s on, he spent most of his time as a house pianist for hotels in Los Angeles and Hollywood, touring rarely.

GUILD. A record company founded in 1945 in New York City. The company only lasted one year but is noteworthy for being the first company to record both Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker together. See also RECORD LABEL.

GUITAR. An instrument in the lute family, the modern guitar has a fret board and six strings (although some guitars have more than six strings). Famous jazz guitarists include Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Jim Hall, and Joe Pass. See also ABERCROMBIE, JOHN; ELECTRIC GUITAR; ELECTRIC BASS (GUITAR); ELLIS, HERB; JORDAN, STANLEY; METHENY, PAT; POWELL, BADEN; RITENOUR, LEE; SCOFIELD, JOHN; STERN, MIKE; TOWNER, RALPH.

GUTBUCKET. In jazz, a term referring to an uninhibited or reckless style of performance.

GUY, JOE (1920–1962). A trumpet player, Joe Guy got his start playing in Teddy Hill’s orchestra in 1937. Guy went on to perform as the principal soloist in Coleman Hawkins’ big band from 1939 to 1940, and in 1941 he became a fixture at the jam sessions at Minton’s Playhouse, performing regularly with Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, and Charlie Christian. Guy played with Cootie Williams in 1942, and from 1945 to 1947 he was Billie Holiday’s manager and love interest. Guy disappeared from the New York jazz scene before passing away in the early 1960s.