Jimmy Giuffre

Saxophonist and clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre gained his first professional band experience while serving in the U.S. Army. Upon discharge he played in a succession of big bands, including those led by Buddy Rich and Woody Herman, composing the classic "Four Brothers" for the latter. Giuffre subsequently appeared at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and the film Jazz on a Summer's Day (1960), performing "The Train and the River." In the '60s Giuffre became involved in the free jazz movement, leading a trio with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow. They recorded Free Fall, a collection of quiet, abstract, and drummer-less pieces. By the '70s, inspired by fusion bands such as Weather Report, he began introducing electric bass and keyboards, which all feature prominently on his later albums: Dragonfly, Quasar, and Liquid Dancers. ~ Rovi Staff