Bobby Few

Born on October 21, 1935 in Cleveland, Ohio, Bobby Few was a jazz pianist and singer, best known for his work with saxophonists Albert Ayler, Steve Lacy, and Avram Fefer. Few originally studied classical piano but switched to jazz after hearing albums by Jazz at the Philharmonic. He attended John Adams High School and played in a band with his friend Ayler. After graduating in 1954, he spent the next 12 years building a career by playing locally with his own trio as well as being an in-demand sideman for other local artists like trumpeter Bill Hardman, bassist Bob Cunningham, and saxophonists Tony Lovano and Frank Wright. At Ayler’s urging, Few relocated to New York in the late 1950s, forming a new trio that he led from 1958 to 1964. He then began working with a variety of musicians including saxophonists Ayler, Jackie McLean, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and others. He played on albums by Ayler, Booker Ervin, Alan Silva, Noah Howard, and others before moving to France in 1969. He soon joined the expatriate jazz community and played with Archie Shepp, Steve Lacy, Rasul Siddik, and Sunny Murray. He released More or Less Few, his first album as a leader, in 1973. He followed that album with Solos and Duets and Solo and Duets, Vol. 2 (both in 1975), Continental Jazz Express (1979), and Rhapsody in Few (1983). During this period, he also played on over a dozen albums by Lacy while also focusing on his own career. In 2001, he began touring and recording with saxophonist Fefer. Few toured Europe frequently, and even toured the U.S. twice. He recorded the album True Wind with saxophonist Sonny Simmons in 2007. Bobby Few died on January 6, 2021.

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