Leslie Spann Jr. (May 23, 1932 – January 24, 1989) 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 ...

guitarist and flautist. As a sideman he recorded with Nat Adderley, Benny Bailey, Bill Coleman, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Curtis Fuller,

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, Sam Jones, Abbey Lincoln, Charles Mingus, Duke Pearson,

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, Charlie Shavers,

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, Billy Taylor, Randy Weston, and

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. As a leader he recorded only once, the album '' Gemini'' in 1961.

Career

Les Spann was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. From 1950 to 1957, he studied music at Tennessee State University. At the end of that time he worked with Phineas Newborn Jr. and in 1958 with Ronnell Bright. The following year, he joined a quintet in New York City led by

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, performing solos on flute and guitar and appearing on two of Gillespie's albums for

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. After a year with Gillespie, he went to Europe as a member of

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's big band. Two more albums followed, this time with Spann joining a sextet that included

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, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. He recorded with Hodges again in 1967. Around 1970, he played flute in a quartet led by the guitarist Kenny Burrell. He died in New York City in 1989.

Discography

As leader

* '' Gemini'' (Jazzland, 1961)

As sideman

With Bill Coleman * ''From Boogie to Funk'' (1960) * ''The Great Parisian Session'' (1960) With

* '' Side by Side'' ( Verve, 1959) with

* '' Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues'' (Verve, 1959) * '' Paris Blues'' ( United Artists, 1961) With

* '' The Ebullient Mr. Gillespie'' (Verve, 1959) * '' Have Trumpet, Will Excite!'' (Verve, 1959) With

* ''A Smooth One'' (1960) * '' Blue Hodge'' (Verve, 1961) * '' Triple Play'' ( RCA Victor, 1967) With

* '' The Birth of a Band!'' ( Mercury, 1959) * ''Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series, Vol. 1'' 1960 * '' I Dig Dancers'' (Mercury, 1960) * ''At Basin Street East'', Billy Eckstine/Quincy Jones (1961) * '' Newport '61'' (Mercury, 1961) * '' The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones'' (Mercury, 1961) With Sam Jones * '' The Chant'' ( Riverside, 1961) * '' Down Home'' (Riverside, 1962) With

* '' The Matadors Meet the Bull'' (

Roulette Roulette (named after the French language, French word meaning "little wheel") is a casino game which was likely developed from the Italy, Italian game Biribi. In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various grouping ...

, 1965) * '' What's New!!!'' (Roulette, 1966) * '' I Keep Comin' Back!'' (Roulette, 1966) With others * '' Phineas Newborn, Jr. Plays Harold Arlen's Music from Jamaica'', Phineas Newborn Jr. (RCA Victor, 1957) * '' Abbey Is Blue'', Abbey Lincoln (Riverside, 1959) * '' Ben Webster and Associates'',

(Verve, 1959) * '' Big Brass'', Benny Bailey ( Candid, 1960) * '' That's Right!'', Nat Adderley (Riverside, 1960) * '' Uhuru Afrika'', Randy Weston (Roulette, 1960) * '' The Magnificent Trombone of Curtis Fuller'', Curtis Fuller (

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) ...

, 1961) * '' Kwamina'', Billy Taylor (Mercury, 1961) * ''Going to the Movies''

(1962) * ''One More Time'', Wild Bill Davis (1962) * '' Solar'',

( Jazzland, 1962) * '' The Complete Town Hall Concert'', Charles Mingus ( Blue Note, 1962 994 * '' Honeybuns'', Duke Pearson (

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 ...

, 1965) * '' Lock, the Fox'', Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (RCA Victor, 1966)

References

*"Les Spann", '' Grove Jazz'' online. {{DEFAULTSORT:Spann, Les 1932 births 1989 deaths Tennessee State University alumni American jazz guitarists American jazz flautists Guitarists from Arkansas 20th-century American guitarists Jazz musicians from Arkansas 20th-century American flautists African-American jazz guitarists