Al Haig

One of the bop era’s most accomplished pianists, Al Haig absorbed Bud Powell’s innovations at an early stage and enjoyed two stretches of steady activity separated by a long stretch of relative neglect. Following Coast Guard service that included band work from 1942 to 1944, he freelanced in Boston before joining Dizzy Gillespie from 1945 to 1946, Charlie Parker from 1948 to 1950, and Stan Getz from 1949 to 1951. During those years he appeared on numerous sessions, chiefly as a sideman on landmark Diz and Bird dates yet also leading his own dates for Spotlite, Dawn, and Prestige. Aside from a handful of little-documented 1954 sessions for Esoteric, Swing, and Period, however, Haig issued no further albums as a leader until 1974. Although he continued to perform regularly through the 1951–1973 interval, recognition remained elusive. Only in his final decade did he gain overdue acclaim as a bop master, recording for Spotlite, Choice, SeaBreeze, Interplay, and assorted Japanese and European labels.