Yusuf Salim (1929–31 July 2008), born Joseph Blair, 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 and composer. Salim was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and began his musical career there at the age of 14 as a pianist with the Ken Murray Sextet. He was hired when aged 17 as the house pianist with the Royal Theatre, where he stayed for seven years with a band headed by Tracy McClair, who had played with the Bama State Collegians and

Erskine Hawkins Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (July 26, 1914 – November 11, 1993) was an American trumpeter and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is best remembered for composing the jazz standard " Tuxedo Junction" ( ...

. While he worked at the Royal Theatre, he performed with entertainers such as

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...

Moms Mabley Loretta Mary Aiken (March 19, 1897 – May 23, 1975), known by her stage name Jackie "Moms" Mabley, was an American stand-up comedian and actress. Mabley began her career on the theater stage in the 1920s and became a veteran entertainer of the ...

, and

Redd Foxx John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movemen ...

. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he traveled to New York City with The Bill Swindell Band and performed at the Braddock Bar in Harlem. He also participated in jam sessions at

Minton's Playhouse Minton's Playhouse is a jazz club and bar located on the first floor of the Cecil Hotel at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. It is a registered trademark of Housing and Services, Inc. a New York City nonprofit provider ...

and Birdland in Manhattan. In 1974, Salim moved to

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

. In 1977, he and three other people (Billy Stevens, Rodger Tygard, and Suman Bhatia) opened a restaurant and club called The Sallam Cultural Center that offered music workshops to train and further the careers of North Carolina jazz musicians, including vocalists Eve Cornelious and

Nnenna Freelon Nnenna Freelon (born July 28, 1954) is an American jazz singer, composer, producer, and arranger. Early life and education Freelon was born Chinyere Nnenna Pierce to Charles and Frances Pierce in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Massachuset ...

, and pianist Chip Crawford who now tours with

Gregory Porter Gregory Porter (born November 4, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He has twice won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album: first in 2014 for '' Liquid Spirit'' and then again in 2017 for '' Take Me to the Alley''. Ear ...

. He also hosted a 13-part WUNC-TV (PBS) series called "Yusuf and Friends." Salim received the North Carolina Arts Council Jazz Fellowship in 1999. He wrote over 53 compositions, which have been recorded by

Gary Bartz Gary Bartz (born September 26, 1940) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has won two Grammy Awards. Biography Bartz was first exposed to jazz as the son of the owners of a jazz nightclub in Baltimore. In 1958 he left Baltimore to study at the J ...

Mongo Santamaria Mongo may refer to: Geography Africa * Mongo, Chad, a Sahel city * Apostolic Vicariate of Mongo, Chad, a Roman Catholic missionary jurisdiction * Mongo Department, Gabon * Mongo, Sierra Leone, a chiefdom * Mongo River (Little Scarces River) ...

Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered by the general public for the 1966 soul ...

, and others.

References

External links

Jazz Archive at Duke University

Yusuf Salim Collection
Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University]
Images of Yusuf Salim at Indyweek.com

Images of Yusuf Salim at Bromberg Photography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salim, Yusuf 1929 births 2008 deaths American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists Musicians from Baltimore 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Maryland 20th-century American male musicians