Ike Abrams Quebec (August 17, 1918January 16, 1963) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

tenor saxophonist. He began his career in the big band era of the 1940s, then fell from prominence for a time until launching a comeback in the years before his death. Critic Alex Henderson wrote, "Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression."

Biography

Quebec was born in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, United States. An accomplished dancer and pianist, he switched to tenor sax as his primary instrument in his early twenties, and quickly earned a reputation as a promising player. His performance career started in 1940, with the Barons of Rhythm. Not to be confused with the Count Basie Orchestra band of the same name, the Barons disbanded in 1941 when the USA entered the war and were never recorded. Quebec later recorded or performed with Frankie Newton, Hot Lips Page, Roy Eldridge, Trummy Young, Ella Fitzgerald,

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

and

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. Between 1944 and 1951, he worked intermittently with

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. He began to record for the Blue Note label in the mid-1940s, becoming the label's biggest jukebox star during this time, picking up national hits with 'Blue Harlem' and 'If I Had You'. During this time Quebec also served as a talent scout for Blue Note, helping to bring

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

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and Bud Powell to wider attention. Due in part to struggles with

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addiction, for which he served two short sentences at Rikers Island Prison, Quebec recorded only sporadically during the 1950s. However, he still performed regularly and remained abreast of new developments in jazz, with his later playing incorporating elements of hard bop, bossa nova, and soul jazz. In 1959 Quebec mounted a comeback with a series of albums on the Blue Note label. Blue Note executive Alfred Lion was always fond of Quebec's music, but was unsure how audiences would respond to the saxophonist after a decade of low visibility. In the mid-to-late 1950s, Blue Note therefore issued a series of Quebec singles for the juke box market; audiences responded well, leading to a number of warmly-received albums. Quebec occasionally recorded on piano, as on his 1961 '' Blue & Sentimental'' album, where he alternated between tenor and piano, playing the latter behind

Grant Green Grant Green (June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Green has been called one of the "most sampled guitarists." Biography Grant Green was born on June 6, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, to John and ...

's guitar solos. Quebec's comeback was short-lived. He died in January 1963, at the age of 44, from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

. Quebec's legacy was later commemorated by Blue Note, which gifted a commemorative tombstone to Woodland Cemetery (Newark, New Jersey) for Quebec's grave in 1992.

Family

Quebec's cousin Danny Quebec West was an alto saxophonist who, at the age of 17, recorded with Thelonious Monk on his first session for Blue Note in 1947.

Discography

As leader

* ''Ike Quebec Tenor Sax'' ( Blue Note, 1945) * '' From Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs'' ( Blue Note, 1959 el. 2000 * '' The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions'' (Blue Note, 1959–1962 el. 2005 2-CD set; originally released on

Mosaic Records Mosaic Records is an American jazz record company and label established in 1982 by Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie. It produces limited-edition box sets. The sets recordings are leased from the major record companies, usually for a three- or f ...

in 1988; also contains 8 of the 10 tracks on ''From Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs''. * '' Heavy Soul'' (Blue Note 84093, 1961 el. 1962 * '' It Might as Well Be Spring'' (Blue Note 84105, 1961 el. 1964 * '' Blue & Sentimental'' (Blue Note 84098, 1961 el. 1963 * '' Easy Living'' (Blue Note 84103 (LP), 1962; 46846 (CD), 1987) the CD issue contains all 5 "sextet" tracks that were first released on ''Congo Lament''. * '' Soul Samba'' (Blue Note 84114, 1962 el. 1963 * ''With a Song in My Heart'' (Blue Note LT-1052 (LP), 1962 el. 1980 collects 9 tracks that later appeared on ''The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions''. * ''Congo Lament'' (Blue Note LT-1089 (LP), 1962 el. 1981 sextet recordings with Bennie Green, Stanley Turrentine. * ''The Art of Ike Quebec'' (Blue Note 99178 (CD), 1992) compilation * ''Ballads'' (Blue Note 56690 (CD), 1997) compilation of 9 tracks from ''Easy Living,'' ''Born To Be Blue'' (Grant Green album), ''Heavy Soul,'' ''It Might As Well Be Spring,'' ''The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions,'' ''With A Song In My Heart.''

As sideman

with Cab Calloway And His Orchestra * ''Live At The New Cafe Zanzibar 1944'' (Magnetic Records) with

Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Early life Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of P ...

* '' Leapin' and Lopin''' (Blue Note, 1961) - on one track only with

* '' Born to Be Blue'' (Blue Note, 1962 el. 1985 * '' The Latin Bit'' (Blue Note, 1962) - on two CD bonus tracks with Dodo Greene *'' My Hour of Need'' (Blue Note, 1962 el. 1963 With Jimmy Smith *'' Open House'' (Blue Note, 1960) *'' Plain Talk'' (Blue Note, 1960)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quebec, Ike 1918 births 1963 deaths American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists Soul-jazz saxophonists Jump blues musicians Hard bop saxophonists Blue Note Records artists Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state) 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Cab Calloway Orchestra members Jazz musicians from Newark, New Jersey