Photo by Andrea Canter

One of the leading “Texas Tenors,” David “Fathead” Newman was born in Corsicana, Texas and spent his childhood in Dallas. His parents introduced him to jazz through the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and Duke Ellington. "And of course, there was the blues background,” said Newman. “T-Bone Walker and Lowell Fulson were from the Dallas, Tex., area, and you were just surrounded by the blues. It was all so natural." While playing in the band at Lincoln High School in Dallas, Newman acquired his nickname when his band teacher noticed he had his music upside-down and called him “Fathead.” The name stuck. Newman toured with Buster Smith before signing on for a long stint with Ray Charles, first as a baritone saxman and later as the star tenor soloist. From the 50s on, Newman was in high demand, working with Lee Morgan, Billy Higgins, Kenny Dorham, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Dr. John, Art Blakey, and Herbie Mann’s “Family of Mann” project; later associations included Cedar Walton and Buster Williams. He has appeared on many television shows including Saturday Night Live, David Sanborn's Night Music, David Letterman, and in Robert Altman's film "Kansas City." He has recorded for Atlantic, Muse, Kokopelli, with the Kansas City Orchestra on Verve, and now with High Note (2004’s Song for a New Man, and his latest, a tribute to his late mentor, I Remember Brother Ray). Newman last appeared locally at the 2004 Hot Summer Jazz Festival.

Wrote critic John Murph, “When he plays, he never loses sight of the melody even during a song's most prickly sequences, making every phrase utterly singable. Like his blustery, wide-open sound, his improvisational emphasis on the melody is a testament to his Southern blues roots, proudly extending the legacy of the Texas Tenors…”

The David 'Fathead' Newman Organ Quartet will perform on Friday & Saturday, December 16-17, at Smoke Jazz Club & Lounge in New York. The quartet features David Newman on saxophones, Joe Strasser on drums, Mike LeDonne on B3 organ, and Peter Bernstein on guitar.

The Smoke Jazz Club & Lounge is located at 2751 Broadway, New York, NY 10025; (212) 864 6662.

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