SAHIB SHIHAB

"First Jazz Musician to become Muslim"

About Sahib Shihab

Born June 23, 1925 in Savannah, GA, Died October 24, 1989 in Tennessee. In 1947 Sahib Shihab was the first in a wave of Jazz Musicians to embrace Islam; other artists that followed were Art Blakey, Yusef Lateef, McCoy Tyner, Idrees Sulieman.....and many more. Sahib Shihab was a master reedsman playing the Alto and Baritone Sax, but was more known for playing the flute and was one of the earliest boppers to use it. After his converting to Islam, he fell in with the early bop movement, recording several now-famous sides on alto with Thelonious Monk for Blue Note in 1947 and 1951, and playing with Art Blakey in 1949-1950 and the Tadd Dameron band in 1949. Following some empty patches where he had to work odd jobs for a living, Shihab played with Dizzy Gillespie in 1951-1952, Illinois Jacquet in 1952-1955, and the Oscar Pettiford big band in 1957. By 1959 he had moved to Europe whilst touring with the Quincy Jones Big Band and it is here that he created some of his most famous albums. From 1963 - 1972 he played with the Clarke Boland Big Band and it was with this outfit that he recorded his own albums.

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Sahib Shihab (born Edmond Gregory 23 June 1925 in Savannah, Georgia – died 24 October 1989 in Tennessee) was a jazz saxophonist (baritone, alto, and soprano) and flautist. 

Biography

He first played alto saxophone professionally for Luther Henderson at age 13 and went on to study at the Boston Conservatory and to play with trumpetist Roy Eldridge. He played lead alto with Fletcher Henderson in the mid forties.

He was one of the first jazz musicians to convert to Islam and changed his name in 1947. During the late 1940s, Shihab played with Thelonious Monk. During this period, he also found time to appear on many recordings by artists including Art Blakey, Kenny Dorham and Benny Golson. The invitation to play with Dizzy Gillespie's big band in the early fifties was of particular significance as it marked Sahib's switch to baritone.

In 1959, he toured Europe with Quincy Jones after getting fed up with racial politics in USA and ultimately settled in Scandinavia. He worked for Copenhagen Polytechnic and wrote scores for television, cinema and theatre.

In 1961, he joined The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band and remained a key figure in the band for the 12 years it ran. He married a Danish lady and raised a family in Europe, although he remained a conscious African-American still sensitive to racial issues.

In the Eurovision Song Contest 1966, Shihab accompanied Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson on stage for the Swedish entry Nygammal Vals.

In 1973, Sahib returned to the United States for a three-year hiatus, working as a session man for rock and pop artists and also doing some copywriting for local musicians. He spent his remaining years between New York and Europe and played in a successful partnership with Art Farmer and died in Tennessee.

In 1957, Sahib was one of the musicians photographed by Art Kane in his A Great Day in Harlem picture.

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Sahib Shihab: Seeds and Sentiments 

By Bobby Hancock Discuss  

Jazz music has more than its fair share of overshadowed figures that whilst contributing much to the music have little presence in its collective conscious. One such musician is the talented multi-reedist, Sahib Shihab, who despite emigrating from the United States in the early 1960’s managed to have a significant impact on the scene. Recording with some of the legends of bop, before embarking on a European career in jazz as a soloist and member of the successful Clarke Boland Big Band. 

He was born Edmond Gregory in Savannah, Georgia in 1925, his earliest professional experience playing alto with Luther Henderson’s band, at the tender age of thirteen. After a period of study at the Boston Conservatory he went on to play with trumpet great Roy Eldridge and lead alto with Fletcher Henderson in the mid forties. Here he was still billed as Eddie Gregory but in 1947 he became an early jazz convert to Islam, rather quaintly referred to as Mohammedanism in the vernacular of the day. 

The Bop explosion of the late 1940’s that swept through jazz gripped Sahib Shihab, as many others and he quickly became one of the leading Parker influenced altoists of the day. Proving himself well equipped to deal with the complexities of the new music, he contributed to a series of classic sides with Theolonius Monk, between 1947-51 laying down some of the cornerstones of Bop’s recorded history, including the original version of “Round About Midnight.” The self styled eccentric genius was an influential figure both on and off the bandstand and Shihab’s later work on Baritone owes a debt to Monk’s quirky and individual approach to the music. 

During this period he also found time to appear on many recordings by popular jazz artists including Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Benny Golson, Tadd Dameron and on John Coltrane’s first full session as leader for Prestige, First Trane. The invitation to play with Dizzy Gillespie’s big band in the early fifties was of particular significance as it marked Sahib’s switch to Baritone, the instrument he became most readily associated with.

“His own work from the 1960’s and early 70’s provides a fascinating document of a man completely at home with the idea of individuality and self-expression.”

By the end of the fifties Sahib Shihab had become increasingly embittered by the position of the jazzman in the United States and in particular racial tension. ‘ I was getting tired of the atmosphere around New York,’ he informed downbeat in 1963. ‘…And I wanted to get away from some of the prejudice. I don’t have time for this racial bit. It depletes my energies.’ So in 1959 he leapt at the chance to depart its shores and join Quincy Jones band, touring with the musical ‘Free and Easy.’ He stayed with the band after the musical ended, travelling around Europe until engagements eventually ran out and the band was wound up. He decided to make Scandinavia his home and lived between Denmark and Sweden according to work permit allowances for the next twelve years. Here he found the ‘survival and peace of mind’ he needed and was soon active writing scores for television, cinema and the theatre and secured work at Copenhagen Polytechnic. 

In 1961 he joined the enduring big band of fellow ex-patriot Kenny Clarke and the unorthodox Belgian pianist/composer Francy Boland. Sahib Shihab remained a key figure in the band for its 12 year run. Contributing his gruff, fluent sound on baritone and his fluttering expressive flute to many recordings and live settings. His idiosyncratic and distinctive style was well suited to the unpredictable arrangements of the band. 

His own work from the 1960’s and early 70’s provides a fascinating document of a man completely at home with the idea of individuality and self-expression. While his earlier influences of swing and his days with Monk are evident, he manages to define himself on a variety of standards, ballads, and his own unusual compositions, often featuring curious arrangements and tempo changes. His flute technique is highlighted on the roaring “Om Mani Padme Hum” where, over a driving minor Latin groove; he applies his rich full tone along with an array of vocal expressions not dissimilar to Roland Kirk or Yusef Lateef. In the percussive “Seeds.” Sahib plays Baritone against a sparse conga rhythm to great effect, utilizing its hoarse, rasping sound and its guttural expressiveness. Deep-throated honks sharply punctuate his flowing lines as he soars into new passages of invention full of warmth and humour. His sometimes eccentric playing is always saying something fresh and his unorthodoxy is beguiling. 

Despite Sahib’s more relaxed environment, his marriage to a Danish lady and raising a family in Europe, he remained a resolutely conscious African-American, still sensitive to racial issues. Danish friends regarded him as a mild mannered gentle man, unless riled by the issues of racial inequality and injustice. On the evening of the death of Malcolm X Shihab played an engagement with the CBBB in Cologne. As his turn approached to solo he stood and fingered the notes as vigorously as ever but refrained from making a note with his horn. Producing only an angry hissing noise, for the duration of his chorus. Making his anger, frustration and bitterness abundantly clear. 

In 1973 Sahib Shihab returned to the United States for a three-year hiatus, working as a session man for rock and pop artists and also doing some copywriting for local musicians. He spent his remaining years between New York and Europe and played in a successful partnership with Art Farmer. Sahib Shihab died in Tennessee in 1989. 

A shadowy fugitive from his home in the land of jazz, Sahib Shihab remains a true unsung figure, worthy of more attention. With his equally expert technique on Baritone, Flute, Alto and Soprano saxophones and his capacity to adapt easily to a variety of musical settings. His warm, individual, singsong sound in improvisation and his unusual and interesting compositions mark him out as a hidden treasure in the dusty corners of jazz archive.

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Biography by Richard S. Ginell

Besides being one of the first jazz musicians to convert to Islam and change his name (1947), Sahib Shihab was also one of the earliest boppers to use the flute.

But he was also a fluent soloist on the alto, as well as the baritone sax, the latter being the instrument with which he became most frequently associated.

Shihab first worked professionally with the Luther Henderson band at the age of 13 while still studying with Elmer Snowden.

At 16, he attended the Boston Conservatory (1941-1942) and later worked as the lead alto in the 1944-1945 Fletcher Henderson band, billed as Eddie Gregory.

After his religious conversion, he fell in with the early bop movement, recording several now-famous sides on alto with Thelonious Monk for Blue Note in 1947 and 1951, and playing with Art Blakey in 1949-1950 and the Tadd Dameron band in 1949.

Following some empty patches where he had to work odd jobs for a living, Shihab played with Dizzy Gillespie in 1951-1952, Illinois Jacquet in 1952-1955, and the Oscar Pettiford big band in 1957. After arriving in Europe with Quincy Jones' big band in 1959-1960, he remained there until 1986 (mostly in Copenhagen), except for a long Los Angeles interlude (1973-1976).

While on the Continent, he played in the Clarke-Boland big band for nearly a decade (1963-1972); he can be heard applying advanced vocal effects to his attractive flute work on the superb Clarke-Boland Big Band LP (Atlantic, 1963). He recorded only a handful of albums as a leader over the decades for Savoy, Argo, Atlantic, and Chess; a 1963 live date in Copenhagen is available on Black Lion.

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Discography

As leader

Jazz We Heard Last Summer (1957) - split-LP with Herbie Mann
Jazz Sahib (1957) - with Bill Evans, Phil Woods
Conversations (1963) - with Allan Botchinsky, Ole Molin, Alex Riel, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Summer Dawn (1964) - with Jimmy Woode (bass), Francy Boland (piano), Kenny Clarke (drums), Ake Persson (trombone)
Seeds (1968) - with Francy Boland, Fats Sadi, Jimmy Woode, Jean Warland and Kenny Clarke
Commitment - (1970, with Francy Boland, Kenny Clarke, Jimmy Woode, Fats Sadi, Benny Bailey, Ake Persson, Milt Jackson
Sentiments (1971) - with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums), Kenny Drew (piano)
Flute Summitt (1973, Atlantic Records)
And All Those Cats (1998, compilation)

As sideman

With Art Blakey
Theory of Art (1957)

With Betty Carter
Out There (1958)
I Can't Help It (1992)

With John Coltrane
Coltrane (1957)

With Tadd Dameron
Fontainebleau (1956)

With Johnny Griffin
Lady Heavy Bottom's Waltz (1968)
Griff 'N Bags

With George Gruntz
Noon in Tunisia (1967)

With Thelonious Monk
Genius of Modern Music: Volume 1

With Charlie Rouse
Soul Mates (1988)

With Mal Waldron
Mal-2 (1957)

With Phil Woods
Four Altos (1957, Prestige Records) - with Gene Quill, Hal Stein