Junior Mance

Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. (known as Junior Mance, born 10 October 1928, Evanston, Illinois) is an American jazz pianist and composer.

Video:Piano in Bryant Park with Junior Mance

Junior Mance began playing the piano at the age of five, but did not begin formal training until the age of eight. He started playing professionally during his early teens. He attended Roosevelt College in Chicago as a music major.

In 1947 Mance left Roosevelt College to join Gene Ammons' band and began his recording career with Gene. He joined Lester Young in 1949 for almost two years, and rejoined Ammons several months in 1951 before being drafted into the U. S. Army. He served in the 36th Army Band at Fort Knox, Kentucky along with Julian "Cannonball" Adderley.

After his discharge from the Army in 1953, he became part of the house rhythm section at the Bee Hive Jazz Club in Chicago for a year, and accompanied musicians such as Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Sonny Stitt, and many others.

In 1954 Mance joined and toured with Dinah Washington. Among the numerous recordings he made with her, there are two that really stand out in his memory: Dinah Jams and Jam Session. They are two live albums also featuring Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Clark Terry, Maynard Ferguson, Herb Geller, Harold Land, Keter Betts, George Morrow, Richie Powell.

In 1956 he reunited with Cannonball Adderley, becoming a member of Cannonball's first organized working band. The band did a series of recordings on Mercury Records.

Junior joined Dizzy Gillespie's band in 1958, a period Junior considers one of the highlights of his career. Besides the joy and fun of playing with Dizzy, he remembers this period as a great learning experience in musicianship, showmanship, and just about everything related to the business of music.

In 1961 Junior decided to form his own trio, following the release of his first recording as a leader. (Junior, Verve Records) In between gigs with his trio, with bassist Ben Tucker and Bobby Thomas on drums, he played and recorded with the Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis/Johnny Griffin Quintet. With his trio he also accompanied singer Joe Williams in 1963/64.

In 1988 Junior became a member of the faculty at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City. He teaches classes in Blues, Ballads, and also private lessons.

During the 1990s Junior has been part of a very elite group called "100 Gold Fingers". This is a group which tours Japan every other year, consisting of ten outstanding jazz pianists. On various tours the group has included people such as Hank Jones, John Lewis, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Barron, Ray Bryant, Roger Kellaway, Gene Harris, Marian McPartland, Barry Harris, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Lynne Arriale, Cyrus Chestnut, Benny Green, Duke Jordan, Joanne Brackeen, Monty Alexander, Dave McKenna, Renee Rosnes, Mulgrew Miller, Harold Mabern as well as Junior and a rhythm section consisting of bassist Bob Cranshaw and either Alan Dawson or Grady Tate on drums.

On November 21, 1997, at Tampa, Florida, Junior was inducted into the International Jazz Hall of Fame, an honor Junior is extremely proud of, being in the elite company of many of his heroes, both past and present.

Mance made his solo piano debut at Lincoln Center at the Kaplan Penthouse on October 5–7 of 2000.

The Junior Mance Trio (Jackie Williams, Hide Tanaka, and guest vocalist José James) released their first CD, Live At Cafe Loup, in 2007. Junior is still very active in NYC, Japan, and all over the world.

Discography

As leader

• Junior (The Verve Music Group, 1959)
• The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance (Jazzland, 1960)
• Junior Mance Trio at the Village Vanguard (Jazzland, 1961)
• Big Chief! (Jazzland, 1961)
• The Soul of Hollywood (Jazzland 1962)
• Junior's Blues (Riverside, 1962)
• Happy Time (Jazzland, 1962)
• Straight Ahead (Capitol Records, 1964)
• Harlem Lullaby (Atlantic Records, 1966)
• I Believe to My Soul (Atlantic, 1966)
• Live at the Top of the Gate (Atlantic, 1968)
• With a Lotta Help From My Friends (Atlantic, 1970)
• That Lovin' Feelin' (Milestone, 1972)
• The Junior Mance Touch (Polydor, 1973)

As sideman

With Nat Adderley

• To the Ivy League from Nat (1956)

With Gene Ammons

• All Star Sessions (Prestige, 1950-55 [1956])
• The Boss Is Back! (Prestige, 1969)
• Brother Jug! (Prestige, 1969)
• Together Again for the Last Time (Prestige) - with Sonny Stitt

With Art Blakey

• Hard Drive (Bethlehem, 1957)

With Clifford Brown

• Jam Session (EmArcy, 1954) - with Maynard Ferguson and Clark Terry

With Dizzy Gillespie

• The Ebullient Mr. Gillespie (Verve, 1959)
• Have Trumpet, Will Excite! (Verve, 1959)
• To Diz with Love (Telarc, 1992)

With Dexter Gordon

• Dexter Gordon with Junior Mance at Montreux (Prestige, 1970)

With Joe Gordon

• Introducing Joe Gordon (EmArcy, 1954)

With Bennie Green

• Glidin' Along (Jazzland, 1961)

With Johnny Griffin

• Johnny Griffin (Argo, 1956 [1958])
• Tough Tenors (Jazzland, 1960) - with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
• Griff & Lock (Jazzland, 1960) - with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
• The First Set (Prestige, 1961) - with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
• The Tenor Scene (Prestige, 1961) - with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
• The Late Show (Prestige, 1961) - with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
• The Midnight Show (Prestige, 1961) - with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
• Lookin' at Monk! (Jazzland, 1961) - with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

With James Moody

• Last Train from Overbrook (Argo, 1958)

With Sonny Stitt

• Kaleidoscope (Prestige, 1950-51 [1957])
• Stitt's Bits (Prestige, 1950 [1958])
• The Matadors Meet the Bull (Roulette, 1965)

With Wilbur Ware

• The Chicago Sound (Riverside, 1957)

External links

• Interview with Junior Mance and footage from Cafe Loup
• Cafe Loup - restaurant and bar where Junior Mance Performs every week in NYC
• Junior Mance Homepage
• Audio Interview with Junior Mance (December 1, 2002) at Yehoodi.com
• The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
• Grove Music Online Entry

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