Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet Jacquet, New York City, ca. May 1947 (Photograph by William Paul Gottlieb) Background information Birth name Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet Born (1922-10-31)October 31, 1922 Broussard, Louisiana, US Died July 22, 2004(2004-07-22) (aged 81) Queens, New York, US Genres Swing, bebop, jump blues Occupation(s) Musician, bandleader, composer Instruments Tenor saxophone, bassoon, alto saxophone Years active 1941–2004 Labels Apollo, Savoy, Aladdin, RCA, Verve, Mercury Records, Roulette, Epic, Argo, Prestige, Black Lion, Black & Blue Records, Atlantic. Associated acts Cab Calloway, Dexter Gordon, Flip Phillips Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet (October 31, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. Although he was a pioneer of the honking tenor saxophone that became a regular feature of jazz playing and a hallmark of early rock and roll, Jacquet was a skilled and melodic improviser, both on up-tempo tunes and ballads. He doubled on the bassoon, one of only a few jazz musicians to use the instrument.