Herman "Junior" Cook (July 22, 1934 – February 3, 1992) was an American

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

tenor saxophone player.

Biography

Cook was born in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

. A member of a musical family, he started on alto saxophone before switching to tenor during his high school years. After playing with

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

in 1958, Cook was a member of the

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sch ...

Quintet (1958–1964); when Silver left the group in the hands of

Blue Mitchell Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American trumpeter and composer who worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and funk. He recorded albums as leader and sideman for Riverside, Mainstream Records, and Bl ...

Cook stayed in the quintet for five more years (1964–1969). Later associations included

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

Louis Hayes Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937) is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He i ...

(1975–1976),

Bill Hardman William Franklin Hardman Jr. (April 6, 1933 – December 6, 1990) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist who chiefly played hard bop. He was married to Roseline and they had a daughter Nadege. Career Hardman was born and grew ...

(1979–1989), and the

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

big band. In addition to many appearances as a sideman, Junior Cook recorded as a leader for Jazzland (1961),

Catalyst Catalysis () is the increase in rate of a chemical reaction due to an added substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quick ...

(1977),

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, and SteepleChase. He also taught at

Berklee School of Music Berklee College of Music () is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level ...

for a year during the 1970s. In the early 1990s, Cook was playing with

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player and composer. Originally from Chicago, Jordan later moved to New York City, where he recorded extensively in addition to touring across ...

, and also leading his own group. He died in February 1992 in his apartment in New York City, aged 57.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* '' Junior's Cookin''' ( Jazzland, 1961) *''

* ''

Pressure Cooker A pressure cooker is a sealed vessel for cooking food with the use of high pressure steam and water or a water-based liquid, a process called pressure cooking. The high pressure limits boiling and creates higher temperatures not possible at low ...

'' (

, 1977) * '' Good Cookin''' (

, 1979) * '' Somethin's Cookin''' (Muse, 1981) * '' The Place to Be'' ( Steeplechase, 1988) * '' On a Misty Night'' (Steeplechase, 1989) * '' You Leave Me Breathless'' (Steeplechase, 1991)

As sideman

With

* '' Live at Newport '58'' (

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 1958

008 008, OO8, O08, or 0O8 may refer to: * "008", a fictional 00 Agent In Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and the derived films, the 00 Section of MI6 is considered the secret service's elite. A 00 (pronounced "Double O") is a field agent who ho ...

* '' 6 Pieces of Silver'' (Blue Note, 1956–58) * ''

Finger Poppin' ''Finger Poppin with the Horace Silver Quintet'' is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver recorded on January 31, 1959 and released on Blue Note Records, Blue Note later that year. The quintet features horn section Blue Mitchell and Junior Coo ...

'' (Blue Note, 1959) * '' Blowin' the Blues Away'' (Blue Note, 1959) * '' Horace-Scope'' (Blue Note, 1960) * '' Doin' the Thing'' (Blue Note, 1961) * ''

Paris Blues ''Paris Blues'' is a 1961 American musical romantic drama film directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sidney Poitier as expatriate jazz saxophonist Eddie Cook, and Paul Newman as trombone-playing Ram Bowen. The two men romance two vacationing Amer ...

'' ( Pablo, 1962,

002 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to: Airports *0O2, Baker Airport *O02, Nervino Airport Astronomy *1996 OO2, the minor planet 7499 L'Aquila *1990 OO2, the asteroid 9175 Graun Fiction *002, fictional British 00 Agent *''002 Operazione Luna'' ...

* '' The Tokyo Blues'' (Blue Note, 1962) * '' Silver's Serenade'' (Blue Note, 1963) * '' Song for My Father'' (Blue Note, 1964) * '' Music to Ease Your Disease'' (Silverto, 1988) With

Barry Harris Barry Doyle Harris (December 15, 1929 – December 8, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. He was an exponent of the bebop style. Influenced by Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, Harris in turn influenc ...

* '' Luminescence!'' (

Prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

, 1967) With

*''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

'' (Muse, 1978) *'' Politely'' (Muse, 1981

982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Taranto, and proceeds along the gulf coas ...

*''

Focus Focus (: foci or focuses) may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in East Australia Film *Focus (2001 film), ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based on the Arthur Miller novel *Focus (2015 ...

'' (Muse, 1982) *''

What's Up What's Up or variants may refer to: Film and television *''What'z Up?'', 1994 American teens TV show * ''What's Up'' (TV series), 2011–12 South Korean musical drama *''What's Up! Que Pasa'', American children's educational TV show * WatsUp TV, ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1989) With

* '' Sing Me a Song of Songmy'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, 1971) – co-led with

İlhan Mimaroğlu İlhan Kemaleddin Mimaroğlu (, March 11, 1926 – July 17, 2012) was a Turkish American musician and electronic music composer. Biography He was born in Istanbul, Turkey, the son of the famous architect Mimar Kemaleddin Bey depicted on the T ...

* '' Keep Your Soul Together'' (

CTI Records CTI Records (Creed Taylor Incorporated) is a jazz record label founded in 1967 by Creed Taylor. CTI was a subsidiary of A&M before becoming independent in 1970. Its first album was '' A Day in the Life'' by guitarist Wes Montgomery in 1967. ...

, 1973) * '' High Energy'' ( Columbia, 1974) * '' Polar AC'' (

, 1974) * '' Live at Carnegie Hall 1972'' ( Stepper Music, 2007) With

* '' Two Tenor Winner'' ( Criss Cross, 1984) *'' Play What You Feel'' ( Mapleshade, 1990

997 Year 997 ( CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first child of the emperor, but because of the power stru ...

With

* '' The Cup Bearers'' (Riverside, 1962) * '' The Thing to Do'' (Blue Note, 1964) * '' Down with It!'' (Blue Note, 1965) * '' Bring It Home to Me'' (Blue Note, 1966) * '' Boss Horn'' (Blue Note, 1966) * '' Heads Up!'' (Blue Note, 1967) With others *

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige Records, Prestige, Blue Note, Verve Records, Verve, CTI Records, CTI, Muse Records, Muse, and Concord Records, Conco ...

: '' Swingin''' (Blue Note, 1956 el. 1980 *

: ''Blue Lights'' (Blue Note, 1958) * Dave Bailey Sextet: '' One Foot in the Gutter'' (

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

, 1960) *

Roy Brooks Roy Brooks (March 9, 1938 – November 15, 2005) was an American Jazz drumming, jazz drummer. Biography Early life Brooks was born in Detroit and drummed since childhood, his earliest experiences of music coming through his mother, who sang in c ...

: ''

Beat Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...

'' (Jazz Workshop, 1964) *

: '' Luminescence!'' (Prestige, 1967) *

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and c ...

: '' Cedar!'' (Prestige, 1967) * John Patton: '' That Certain Feeling'' (Blue Note, 1968; Mosaic Select, 2003) * Don Patterson: '' Opus De Don'' (Prestige, 1968) * Louis Smith: '' Prancin''' (SteepleChase, 1979) *

Mickey Tucker Mickey Tucker (born Michael B. Tucker; April 28, 1941) is an American jazz pianist and organist. Biography Tucker was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1941. He grew up in Rankin, Pennsylvania before moving back to North Carolina aged 12. When h ...

: '' Sojourn'' ( Xanadu, 1977) *

: '' Uptown/Downtown'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway, railway line, canal or border, boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks like Mileage sign, mileage signs; or they c ...

, 1988) * Walter Bishop Jr.: '' Hot House'' (Muse, 1979) *

: ''

Ichi-Ban ''Ichi-Ban'' is an album by the Louis Hayes – Junior Cook Quintet featuring Woody Shaw recorded in 1976 and released on the Dutch Timeless label and on Timeless Muse in the U.S.Vibration Society Hilton Ruiz Steve Turre: '' The Music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk'' ( Stash, 1986) * Larry Gales Sextet: ''A Message from Monk'' ( Candid, 1990) * Bertha Hope: ''Elmo's Fire'' (Steeplechase, 1991)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Junior 1934 births 1992 deaths Musicians from Pensacola, Florida American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists Jazz musicians from Florida Muse Records artists SteepleChase Records artists 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians