Garvin Bushell ''(né'' Garvin Lamont Payne; September 25, 1902 – October 31, 1991) was an American

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and ...

multi-instrumentalist.

Biography

Bushell was born in Springfield,

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, to Alexander Payne, Jr. (1875–1908) and Effie Penn ''(maiden;'' 1879–1968). After his father's death, his mother – on January 12, 1910, in

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States, located at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers. Cincinnati, Ohio, lies to its immediate north across the Ohio and Newport, to its east across the Licki ...

– married Rev. Joseph Davenport Bushell (1878–1960). Garvin adopted the surname of his stepfather. Bushell played both jazz and classical music on clarinet, alto clarinet,

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

, english horn, flute,

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

, bassoon, and

contrabassoon The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences. Differences from the bassoon The reed is cons ...

. He was best known as a jazz sideman with people such as Perry Bradford, and performed and/or recorded with many of jazz's great names, such as Fletcher Henderson, Bunk Johnson, Fats Waller,

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocali ...

, Eric Dolphy, Gil Evans, and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and rai ...

. Bushell eventually settled in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, where he worked as a music teacher.

Family

Bushell – on July 24, 1923, in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

– married Marie Roberts ''(maiden;'' 1902–1971), who, among other things, had been a member of the Chocolate Kiddies chorus for the 1925 European tour. Garvin was a member of the band for that tour. Bushell – in 1965 in

– married Louise Olivari ''(maiden;'' 1925–1994), to whom he remained married until his death in 1991. Garvin and Louise had two sons, Garvin P. Bushell and Philip Bushell.

Discography

, ''Africa/Brass'' (Impulse!, 1961) * John Coltrane, ''The Other Village Vanguard Tapes ABC'' (Impulse!, 1977) * Doc Cook/

Johnny Dunn Johnny Dunn (February 19, 1897 – August 20, 1937) was an American traditional jazz trumpeter and vaudeville performer, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He is probably best known for his work during the 1920s with musicians such as ...

, ''Doc Cook and His Dreamland Orchestra and 14 Doctors of Syncopation/Johnny Dunn and His Band with Jelly Roll Morton'' (VJM, 1970) * Wilbur de Paris, ''The Wild Jazz Age'' (Atlantic, 1960) * Wilbur de Paris, ''On the Riviera'' (Atlantic, 1962) * Gil Evans, ''The Individualism of Gil Evans'' (Verve, 1964) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, i ...

/Chick Webb, ''Ella Fitzgerald & the Chick Webb Orchestra'' (Joker, 1974) * Fletcher Henderson All Stars, ''The Big Reunion'' (Jazztone, 1958) *

Barbara Lea Barbara Lea (April 10, 1929 – December 26, 2011) was an American jazz singer. Music career Lea was born and raised in Detroit. Her father was a clarinetist before becoming attorney general of Michigan. He changed the family name from LeCocq t ...

, ''Lea in Love'' (Prestige, 1956) * Kid Ory/ Bunk Johnson, ''New Orleans Legends'' (CBS, 1975) *

Rex Stewart Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Career As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart drop ...

, '' Rendezvous with Rex'' (Felsted, 1959) * Rex Stewart, '' Henderson Homecoming'' (United Artists, 1959) * Ethel Waters, ''Ethel Waters 1938–1939'' (RCA Victor, 1972) * Chick Webb Orchestra/Ella Fitzgerald, ''Live Session at the Savoy Ballroom Harlem December 1939'' (Musidisc, 1975) * Edith Wilson, ''Edith Wilson/1921-22'' (Fountain, 1974) * Sam Wooding, ''Sam Wooding & His Chocolate Dandies'' (Biograph, 1970)

References

External links

Review of Bushell's book ''Jazz From the Beginning''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bushell, Garvin 1902 births 1991 deaths Jazz musicians from Ohio Musicians from Springfield, Ohio 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century American saxophonists African-American saxophonists American classical bassoonists American classical clarinetists American classical oboists American classical saxophonists American jazz bassoonists American jazz clarinetists American jazz oboists American jazz saxophonists American male jazz musicians American male saxophonists Classical musicians from Ohio Cor anglais players Male oboists 20th-century African-American musicians