Baby Face Willette

Baby Face Willette was a soul and jazz organist who was popular in the 1960s. His parents were involved with church gospel music and as a child he studied with his pianist uncle Fred Freeman. He toured America as a pianist with gospel groups and then R&B bands, settling in Chicago and playing the jazz organ. He moved to New York and became involved with Blue Note acts such as Lou Donaldson and Grant Green. He performed on Donaldson's album 'Here 'Tis' and Green's debut album 'Grant's First Stand'. Baby Face Willette made his debut as a solo act in 1961 with the soul jazz album 'Face to Face'. In the same year he recorded his most popular album 'Stop and Listen'. Moving to the Argo label and working in a trio format with guitarist Ben White and drummer Eugene Bass, he released two albums in 1964, 'Mo Roc' followed by 'Behind the 8 Ball'. He was a regular performer at the South Side Chicago Lounge from 1966-'71. He died from bronchial pneumonia in 1971 while living in relative obscurity in Chicago. Today he is seen as an underrated pioneer of the 1960s jazz scene.

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