Curtis Amy was an American West Coast jazz musician known for his work on tenor saxophone. He also explored other mediums, including soul jazz and hard bop. Amy was born in Houston, Texas. He learned how to play clarinet before joining the Army, and during his time in service, picked up the tenor saxophone. After his discharge, he attended and graduated from Kentucky State College. He worked as an educator in Tennessee while playing in midwestern jazz clubs.

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  • Curtis Amy was an American West Coast jazz musician known for his work on tenor saxophone. He also explored other mediums, including soul jazz and hard bop. Amy was born in Houston, Texas. He learned how to play clarinet before joining the Army, and during his time in service, picked up the tenor saxophone. After his discharge, he attended and graduated from Kentucky State College. He worked as an educator in Tennessee while playing in midwestern jazz clubs. In the mid-1950s he relocated to Los Angeles and signed with Pacific Jazz Records. In the mid-60s he spent three years as musical director of Ray Charles' orchestra, together with his wife, Merry Clayton and Steve Huffsteter. As well as leading his own bands and recording albums under his own name, Amy also did session work and played the solos on several recordings, including The Doors song "Touch Me", Carole King's Tapestry, and Lou Rawls' first albums, Black and Blue and Tobacco Road, coinciding with Dexter Gordon in the Onzy Matthews' big band, as well as working with Marvin Gaye, Tammy Terrell and Smokey Robinson. Up until his death he was married to singer and recording artist Merry Clayton.
  • Curtis Amy war ein US-amerikanischer Tenor- und Sopransaxophonist des Hardbop und Soul Jazz.
  • Curtis Amy (Curtis Edward Amy) est un saxophoniste ténor, soprano, alto, un clarinettiste et flûtiste américain, né à Houston au Texas le 11 décembre 1929. De mère pianiste, il reçoit une initiation musicale précoce (clarinette à l'école, puis la direction de big bands de collégiens de 1950 & 1952). En 1955, à Los Angeles. Il joue dans des orchestres de rhythm and blues, enregistre sous son nom régulièrement depuis 1961, et participe à quelques enregistrements en grand orchestre plus qu'en combos. Il a travaillé comme instrumentiste free-lance. Il utilise surtout le ténor, avec une sonorité légèrement « growlée » et « dirty » (volontairement sale, impure) avec une volonté expressionniste imitée de Gene Ammons et de Sonny Stitt, puis plus tard, de John Coltrane : exemple typique de « ténor velu ». Depuis la fin des années 60, il semble avoir abandonné la carrière musicale, si l'on excepte un disque en 1974. Il a de nouveau enregistré en 1994 avec Steve Huffsteter (trompette), Bob McChesney (trombone), Donn Wyatt ou Frank Strazzeri au piano, John B. Williams à la basse, Leon Ndugu Chancler à la batterie. Il est mort le 5 juin 2002 à Los Angeles.
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  • Curtis Amy was an American West Coast jazz musician known for his work on tenor saxophone. He also explored other mediums, including soul jazz and hard bop. Amy was born in Houston, Texas. He learned how to play clarinet before joining the Army, and during his time in service, picked up the tenor saxophone. After his discharge, he attended and graduated from Kentucky State College. He worked as an educator in Tennessee while playing in midwestern jazz clubs.
  • Curtis Amy war ein US-amerikanischer Tenor- und Sopransaxophonist des Hardbop und Soul Jazz.
  • Curtis Amy (Curtis Edward Amy) est un saxophoniste ténor, soprano, alto, un clarinettiste et flûtiste américain, né à Houston au Texas le 11 décembre 1929. De mère pianiste, il reçoit une initiation musicale précoce (clarinette à l'école, puis la direction de big bands de collégiens de 1950 & 1952). En 1955, à Los Angeles.
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  • Curtis Amy
  • Curtis Amy
  • Curtis Edward Amy
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