Urbie Green
is known as a fine jazz player with a
beautiful tone who is highly respected by
his fellow trombonists. He has recorded at
least 24 albums under his own name, and
appears on more than 250 recordings made by
others. He is probably one of the most
recorded, and arguably the best trombonist
to ever live.
The Early Years
- Urbane Clifford Green was born in Mobile
Alabama in 1928. Urbie was set on the road
to his musical career by his mother, who
taught him to play the piano. His early
practice on the piano was not from method
books, but from reading off of sheet music
for the popular songs of the day. He started
playing the trombone when he was around 12
years old. His early musical influences were
a cornet player from Mobile named Bill
Lagman, and trombonists like Tommy Dorsey,
Jack Teagarden, Lawrence Brown, J. C.
Higginbotham, Jack Jenny, and Trummy Young.
According to a 1976 interview with Downbeat
magazine, Urbie's primary influences were
not trombonists, but rather Dizzy Gillespie,
Charlie Parker and Lester Young. Urbie was
also influenced by two older brothers who
were also trombonists. Urbie's trombone
style was also influenced by vocalists such
as Perry Como, and the vocal style of Louis
Armstrong. Urbie's father died when he was
15, and Urbie helped support his mother and
younger sister by playing the trombone
professionally. Urbie moved to California by
the time he was 16 (approx 1944) and spent
his teenage years playing with the big bands
of Tommy Reynolds, Bob Strong and Frankie
Carle. He also worked with Gene Krupa during
1947-50. From 1948 to 1952, Urbie Green had
a stint with Woody Herman's Third Herd. He
also appeared on some of the famous Buck
Clayton Jam Sessions (1953-54).
The 1950's and 1960's
- The 1950's and 1960's were probably Urbie
Green's most productive time for recording.
Urbie arrived in New York in 1953, and by
1954 had established himself as one of the
top trombonists in that highly competitive
market. This is also about the time that
Urbie had his first formal music training.
His previous training was "on - the -
job" experience. Urbie worked with
Benny Goodman off and on during 1955-57 and
appeared in the movie "The Benny
Goodman Story". Urbie Green played with
Count Basie in 1963. He also recorded with
Jazz great Louis Armstrong. After the death
of Tommy Dorsey, Urbie Green fronted the
Tommy Dorsey ghost band (1966-67). Other
artists that Urbie recorded with during the
1950s include Charles Mingus, Billie
Holiday, Coleman Hawkins and Ella
Fitzgerald. Urbie Green recorded frequently
as a leader in the 1950s and 60s. His
discography from this period includes the
following albums:
|
1953 |
Blue Note |
New Faces, New
Sounds |
|
1955 |
Bethlehem |
The Melodic
Tones of Urbie Green |
|
1955 |
Bethlehem |
East Coast Jazz,
Volume 6 |
|
1955 |
Bethlehem |
The Lyrical
Language of Urbie Green |
|
1955 |
Vanguard |
Urbie Green and
His Band |
|
1955 |
Paramount |
Blues and Other
Shades of Green |
|
1956 |
Paramount |
All About Urbie
Green |
|
1957 |
Jazztone |
Urbie Green
Octet / Slidin' Swing |
|
1957 |
RCA |
Let's Face the
Music and Dance |
|
1958 |
RCA |
Best of New
Broadway Show Hits |
The 1960s brought us the collaboration of
Urbie Green and Enoch Light. Enoch Light was
probably one of the most progressive
producers of his time, and a pioneer in both
stereo and quadraphonic recording. The
recordings made by Urbie Green and produced
by Enoch Light under the Command and Project
3 labels are arguably some of Urbie's best.
These include:
|
1960 |
Command |
The Persuasive
Trombone of Urbie Green |
|
1961 |
Command |
The Persuasive
Trombone of Urbie Green Volume 2 |
|
1963 |
Command |
Urbie Green and
His 6-Tet. |
|
1967 |
Project 3 |
21 Trombones |
|
1967 |
Project 3 |
21 Trombones
Volume 2 |
The 1960s also saw Urbie very busy in the
studios recording with other artists such as
Antonio Carlos Jobim, Wes Montgomery, Joe
Morello, Jimmy Smith and Cal Tjader.
The 1970s -
The 1970's saw a continuation of the
collaboration between Enoch Light and Urbie
Green. It also Urbie's foray into the world
of equipment with the design of the Jet Tone
Urbie Green Mouthpiece and the Martin Urbie
Green Model trombone. Urbie's experimental
mind also included recordings made with the
"Green Monster", a King trombone
using a King Vox Amp pickup in the
mouthpiece connected to an octave doubler
and reverb unit. In addition to recordings
with Enoch Light and the Light Brigade, Dick
Hyman, Maynard Ferguson and Doc Severinsen,
Urbie also recorded the following:
|
1971 |
Project 3 |
Green Power |
|
1972 |
Project 3 |
Bein' Green |
|
1974 |
Project 3 |
Urbie Green's
Big Beautiful Band |
After the very productive Enoch Light years,
Urbie’s style changed a bit. His
recordings under the CTI label contained
much more music by Urbie’s band and fewer
solos by Urbie. Albums released by Urbie in
the late 1970s include:
|
1976 |
CTI |
The
Fox |
|
1977 |
CTI |
Senor Blues |
|
1978 |
Flying
Fish |
Live
at Rick's Café American |
The 1980s and
beyond - The 1980s saw a slowing
down of Urbie Green's recording career.
Both albums recorded by Urbie during this
period are live, straight Jazz works.
These are:
|
1981 |
E.J. |
Just Friends |
|
1995 |
Chiaroscuro |
Sea Jam Blues |
Urbie continued to tour and record in the
studios during this period, but an
increasing amount of time was spent at home
on his farm in Pennsylvania. Urbie's son
Jessie Green, a Jazz pianist, also launched
his career at this time and appears on the
Sea Jam Blues recording.
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