Ike Abrams Quebec (August 17, 1918 – January 16, 1963) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.[1] He began his career in the big band era of the 1940s, then fell from prominence for a time until launching a comeback in the years before his death.[2]
Critic Alex Henderson wrote, "Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression."[3]
Biography
Quebec was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States.[1] An accomplished dancer and pianist, he switched to tenor sax as his primary instrument in his early twenties, and quickly earned a reputation as a promising player.[4] His performance career started in 1940, with the Barons of Rhythm.[5] Not to be confused with the Count Basie Orchestra band of the same name, the Barons disbanded in 1941 when the USA entered the war and were never recorded.[4]
Due in part to struggles with heroin addiction, for which he served two short sentences at Rikers Island Prison,[4] Quebec recorded only sporadically during the 1950s.[10] However, he still performed regularly[1] and remained abreast of new developments in jazz, with his later playing incorporating elements of hard bop,[11]bossa nova,[12] and soul jazz.[13]
In 1959 Quebec mounted a comeback with a series of albums on the Blue Note label.[4][14] Blue Note executive Alfred Lion was always fond of Quebec's music, but was unsure how audiences would respond to the saxophonist after a decade of low visibility. In the mid-to-late 1950s, Blue Note therefore issued a series of Quebec singles for the juke box market;[15] audiences responded well, leading to a number of warmly-received albums.[4] Quebec occasionally recorded on piano, as on his 1961 Blue & Sentimental album, where he alternated between tenor and piano, playing the latter behind Grant Green's guitar solos.[11]
Quebec's comeback was short-lived. He died penniless in January 1963,[16] at the age of 44, from lung cancer.[1] Quebec's legacy was later commemorated by Blue Note, which gifted a commemorative tombstone to Woodland Cemetery (Newark, New Jersey) for Quebec's grave in 1992.[16]
Family
Quebec's cousin Danny Quebec West was an alto saxophonist who, at the age of 17, recorded with Thelonious Monk on his first session for Blue Note in 1947.[17]
The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions (Blue Note, 1959–1962 [rel. 2005]) 2-CD set; originally released on Mosaic Records in 1988; also contains 8 of the 10 tracks on From Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs.
The Art of Ike Quebec (Blue Note 99178 (CD), 1992) compilation
Ballads (Blue Note 56690 (CD), 1997) compilation of 9 tracks from Easy Living,Born To Be Blue (Grant Green album), Heavy Soul,It Might As Well Be Spring,The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions,With A Song In My Heart.
