Gary Higgins

Sometimes the most joyous and satisfying things in life occur in the light of pure happenstance. Such was the case when New York based baritone saxophone master Gary Smulyan ventured west in the 90's to perform and teach at the Jazz Port Townsend Festival in Washington state, in those days directed by veteran saxman, Bud Shank. There he met an unusually remarkable and versatile musician, Jay Thomas, a Seattle native and resident, and a friendship was forged that at last has produced a brilliantly modern hard bop recording, Lowdown Hoedown, on the Japanese CUG label. In a musical environment in which both Thomas and Smulyan thrive, Lowdown Hoedown seamlessly rollicks between hard driving bop, and the beauty of romanticism. It is a meeting between two jazz veterans from opposite coasts, grounded in the low tone mastery of Smulyan, and the fertile musical mind of Thomas.

Charles Williams Higgins (April 17, 1924 – September 14, 1999) was an American saxophonist.

Charles Williams Higgins was an American saxophonist. Higgins, who was noted for mixing elements of Latin Jazz with Blues, recorded in Los Angeles during the mid-fifties, notably for the Specialty, Combo and Doo-Tone labels, and is best remembered for the song "Pachuko Hop"…

Born and raised in New England, Eddie (Haydn) Higgins started his professional career in Chicago, while studying at the Northwestern University Music School. For twenty years Eddie worked at some of Chicago's best known jazz clubs, including the Brass Rail, Preview Lounge, Blue Note, Cloister Inn and Jazz Ltd. His longest and most memorable job was at the London House, where he led the house trio for twelve years, playing opposite the biggest jazz stars of the 50's and 60's, including Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Errol Garner, George Shearing, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans and many others.

Celebrated jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan paved the way for the popularity of ‘60s soul-jazz with the release of his definitive classic The Sidewinder. The title track and one of Morgan’s signature tunes exemplified the soul-jazz genre, later becoming a jazz standard. Recorded in 1963 at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio, the highly successful album would chart on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard’s Top R&B albums. Its provocative phrasing and innovative technique mesmerized audiences. The album includes the hard-bop tracks “Gary’s Notebook”, “Hocus-Pocus” and “Boy, What a Night”. An absolute essential.

Celebrated jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan paved the way for the popularity of ‘60s soul-jazz with the release of his definitive classic The Sidewinder. The title track and one of Morgan’s signature tunes exemplified the soul-jazz genre, later becoming a jazz standard. Recorded in 1963 at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio, the highly successful album would chart on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard’s Top R&B albums. Its provocative phrasing and innovative technique mesmerized audiences. The album includes the hard-bop tracks “Gary’s Notebook”, “Hocus-Pocus” and “Boy, What a Night”. An absolute essential.

Celebrated jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan paved the way for the popularity of ‘60s soul-jazz with the release of his definitive classic "The Sidewinder". The title track and one of Morgan’s signature tunes exemplified the soul-jazz genre, later becoming a jazz standard. Recorded in 1963 at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio, the highly successful album would chart on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard’s Top R&B albums. Its provocative phrasing and innovative technique mesmerized audiences. The album includes the hard-bop tracks “Gary’s Notebook”, “Hocus-Pocus” and “Boy, What a Night”. An absolute essential.