Norman Simmons (October 6, 1929Wynn, Ron
Norman Simmons biography
" ''allmusic.'' Retrieved March 1, 2011.Norman Simmons biography
" ''Jazz Biographies.'' Retrieved March 1, 2011. – May 13, 2021) was an American musician, arranger, composer, educator, and most prominently a pianist who worked extensively with

Helen Humes Helen Humes (June 23, 1913 – September 13, 1981) was an American singer. She was a blues, R&B and classic popular singer. Early life Humes was born on June 23, 1913, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Emma Johnson and John Henry Humes. She grew up ...

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

, and Joe Williams among others.Piano in the Parlour - Norman Simmons Trio April 11th
" ''Hackettstown Business Improvement District.'' Retrieved March 1, 2011. Norman Simmons Binghamton NY 1973

Biography

Simmons was born in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

on October 6, 1929. During the early 1950s, he was house pianist at the Beehive Lounge on East 55th Street, playing with visiting musicians such as

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist. Biography Early years The youngest of four children, Gray was born in Oklahoma City. He spent his early childhood years in Oklahoma b ...

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

and with

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

on his final Chicago performance in February 1955. In 1966, his arrangement for

Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five RIAA certification, gold records and three Grammy Awards ...

' hit of "

Wade in the Water "Wade in the Water" is an African-American spiritual, the lyrics of which were first co-published in 1901 in ''New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers'' by Frederick J. Work and his brother, John Wesley Work Jr. The Sunset Fou ...

" became a large commercial success. He was a member of the Ellington Legacy Band from 2002.

Discography

As leader

*''Norman Simmons Trio'' (

Argo In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest fo ...

, 1956) *''Ramira The Dancer'' (Spotlite, 1976) *''Midnight Creeper'' (Milljac, 1979) *''I'm...The Blues'' (Milljac, 1981) *''13th Moon'' (Milljac, 1986) *''The Heat And The Sweet'' (Milljac, 1997) *''The Art Of Norman Simmons'' (

Savant Savant syndrome ( , ) is a phenomenon where someone demonstrates exceptional aptitude in one domain, such as art or mathematics, despite significant social or intellectual impairment. Those with the condition generally have a neurodevel ...

, 2000) - with Eric Alexander *''Manha De Carnaval'' (Sound Hills

apan Apan is a city and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 346.9 km2. Overview-Twin Towns-sister Cities As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 39,247. It was a ...

2002) *''Synthesis'' (Savant, 2002) - with Eric Alexander *''In Private'' (Savant, 2004)

As sideman

With

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from ...

*'' What It's All About'' (Pablo, 1976) With

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

*'' Battle Stations'' (

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 ...

, 1960) - with

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened to "Jaws"): it is either said that ...

*''

Johnny Griffin’s Studio Jazz Party ''Johnny Griffin's Studio Jazz Party'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin which was recorded in 1960 and released on the Riverside label.Riverside, 1960) With

Red Holloway James Wesley "Red" Holloway (May 31, 1927 – February 25, 2012) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Born in Helena, Arkansas,Daniel E. Slotnik"Red Holloway, Swinger of the Sax, Dies at 84" ''The New York Times'', February 28, 2012 ...

*'' Red Soul'' (Prestige, 1965) With

Etta Jones Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene Ammo ...

*'' My Buddy: Etta Jones Sings the Songs of Buddy Johnson'' (HighNote, 1998) *''

All the Way All the Way may refer to: Film and television * ''All the Way'' (1998 film), an Australian comedy directed by Marque Owen * ''All the Way'' (2001 film), a film directed by Shi Runjiu * ''All the Way'' (2016 film), an adaptation of Robert Schenk ...

'' (HighNote, 1999) With

*'' Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics'' (

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...

, 1962) *''Live at Sugar Hill San Francisco'' (Time, 1963) *''Second to None'' (

Mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso * ...

, 1964) *'' Woman Talk, Live at the Village Gate'' (Mainstream, 1965) *''Live & Wailing'' (Mainstream, 1965, reissued with ''Woman Talk'' on Columbia, 1973) *''Carmen McRae'' (Mainstream, 1971) With

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...

*''

'' ( Bet-Car Productions, 1970) *'' Round Midnight'' (

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 ...

, 1975) *'' Finally, Betty Carter'' (Roulette, 1975) With

Harold Ousley Harold Lomax Ousley (January 23, 1929 – August 13, 2015) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flautist. Background Born in Chicago, Ousley began playing in the late-1940s and 1950s. He accompanied Billie Holiday and recorded with Dinah ...

*''The People's Groove'' (

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 ...

, 1977) *''Sweet Double Hipness'' (Muse, 1980) With

*Anita O'Day with John Poole Trio Featuring Norman Simmons - ''Live at Mingo's'' (Emily, 1979) With Scott Hamilton and Warren Vaché *''Skyscrapers'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the ...

, 1980) 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 ...

Von Freeman Earle Lavon "Von" Freeman Sr. (October 3, 1923 – August 11, 2012) was an American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Freeman was exposed as a young child to jazz. His father, George, a city policeman, was a ...

, Cy Touff,

Victor Sproles Victor Sproles (November 18, 1927 in Chicago – May 13, 2005) was an American jazz bassist. Sproles worked in the 1950s with Red Rodney and Ira Sullivan and appears on the Sun Ra recordings '' Super-Sonic Jazz'', '' Sound of Joy'' and ''Deep Pur ...

, and Wilbur Campbell *''

Hyde Park After Dark ''Hyde Park After Dark'' is an album by saxophonist Clifford Jordan which was recorded in Chicago in 1981 together with Victor Sproles on bass, Wilbur Campbell on drums, Norman Simmons on piano, Cy Touff on bass trumpet, and Von Freeman Ear ...

'' (Bee Hive, 1983) With

Dakota Staton Dakota Staton (June 3, 1930 – April 10, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No. 4 hit "The Late, Late Show". She was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period due to her conversion to ...

*'' Ms. Soul'' (Groove Merchant, 1974) With Joe Williams *Joe Williams & Friends June 1985 - ''I Just Want to Sing'' (

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, 1985) *''Every Night: Live At Vine St.'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

, 1987) *''In Good Company'' (Verve, 1989) *''That Holiday Feelin'' (Verve, 1990) *''Ballad And Blues Master'' (Verve, 1992) With

Al Grey Al Grey (June 6, 1925 – March 24, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called ''Plunger Techniques''. Car ...

and

Bjarne Nerem Bjarne Arnulf Nerem (31 July 1923 in Oslo, Norway – 1 April 1991 in Oslo), was a Norwegian jazz musician (tenor saxophone, alto saxophone and clarinet) among the foremost soloists in Norwegian jazz. He was in the tradition of Lester Young, ...

*''Al Meets Bjarne'' (Gemini, 1987)

As arranger

With

*'' The Little Giant'' (Riverside, 1959) *'' The Big Soul-Band'' (Riverside, 1960) *'' White Gardenia'' (Riverside, 1961) With

Teri Thornton Teri Thornton, born Shirley Enid Avery (September 1, 1934 – May 2, 2000) was an American jazz singer and piano player. Thornton first performed in local Detroit clubs in the 1950s. She moved to New York City in the 1960s, where she found work ...

*'' Devil May Care'' (Riverside, 1961) With Mark Murphy * '' Memories of You: Remembering Joe Williams'' ( HighNote, 2003)

References

External links

normansimmons.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simmons, Norman 1929 births 2021 deaths American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists Musicians from Chicago 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Illinois 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Statesmen of Jazz members Argo Records artists