Bob Neloms
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Robert James Neloms (March 2, 1942, in Detroit – July 28, 2020, in Birmingham, Michigan) 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 ...
pianist. He also occasionally performed on
trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...
and organ.


Career

Neloms won a scholarship contest run by ''
Downbeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...
'' in 1959 and subsequently studied at the
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...
. He worked as a
session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
for
Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
from 1961 to 1963 and played with Eddie Henderson, Ricky Ford, and
Bob Mover Bob Mover (born 1952) is an alto, tenor and soprano jazz saxophonist and a vocalist. He has been described as "the highly respected and extraordinary alto saxophonist, teacher, and theoretician". Early years and education His father was a mus ...
later in the decade. In the 1970s he played with
Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive snare drum sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in ja ...
,
Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...
,
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 ...
,
Freddie Waits Frederick Douglas Waits (April 27, 1943 – November 18, 1989) was an American hard bop and post-bop drummer. Waits never officially recorded as leader, but was a prominent member and composer in Max Roach's M'Boom percussion ensemble. He work ...
, and
Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz Double bass, upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective Musical improvisation, improvisation, he is considered one of ...
, and joined
Junior Cook Herman "Junior" Cook (July 22, 1934 – February 3, 1992) was an American hard bop tenor saxophone player. Biography Cook was born in Pensacola, Florida. A member of a musical family, he started on alto saxophone before switching to tenor du ...
and
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 ...
's group in 1978 recording with them until 1982. Concomitantly he worked with
Dannie Richmond Charles Daniel Richmond (December 15, 1931 – March 16, 1988) was an American jazz drummer who is best known for his work with Charles Mingus. He also worked with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond. Biography Richmond was born Charles Dan ...
and
James Newton James W. Newton (born May 1, 1953) is an American jazz and classical flutist. Biography He was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African-American music, inclu ...
. He then played with Hamiett Bluiett and performed and recorded under his own name, remaining active through the late 1980s.


Discography


As leader

* ''Bobby Neloms'' (Bai, 1963) * ''Pretty Music'' (India Navigation, 1982)


As sideman

With
Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz Double bass, upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective Musical improvisation, improvisation, he is considered one of ...
* ''The Charles Mingus Memorial Album'' (Burning Desire, 1977) * ''Three or Four Shades of Blues'' (Atlantic, 1977) * ''Lionel Hampton Presents: The Music of Charles Mingus'' (Who's Who in Jazz, 1977) * '' Cumbia & Jazz Fusion'' (Atlantic, 1978) * ''Me Myself an Eye'' (Atlantic, 1979) * ''Something Like a Bird'' (Atlantic, 1980) With
Dannie Richmond Charles Daniel Richmond (December 15, 1931 – March 16, 1988) was an American jazz drummer who is best known for his work with Charles Mingus. He also worked with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond. Biography Richmond was born Charles Dan ...
* ''Dannie Richmond Quintet'' (Gatemouth, 1980) * '' Dannie Richmond Plays Charles Mingus'' (Timeless, 1981) * ''
Dionysius The name Dionysius (; ''Dionysios'', "of Dionysus"; ) was common in classical and post-classical times. Etymologically it is a nominalized adjective formed with a -ios suffix from the stem Dionys- of the name of the Greek god, Dionysus, parallel ...
'' (Red, 1983) * '' The Last Mingus Band A.D.'' (Landmark, 1994) With others *
Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A membe ...
, ''Dangerously Suite'' (Soul Note, 1981) * Ricky Ford, ''
Loxodonta Africana The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana''), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of three extant elephant species and, along with the African forest elephant, one ...
'' (New World, 1977) *
Teruo Nakamura was a Taiwanese soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army who fought for Japan in World War II and did not surrender until 1974. He was the last known Japanese holdout to surrender after the end of hostilities in 1945. Military service Nakamura ...
, ''Rising Sun'' (Polydor, 1976) *
James Newton James W. Newton (born May 1, 1953) is an American jazz and classical flutist. Biography He was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African-American music, inclu ...
, ''Portraits'' (India Navigation, 1982)


References

American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists Jazz musicians from Detroit 1942 births 2020 deaths {{jazz-pianist-stub