Biography
Alvin "Red" Tyler earned induction into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame, yet he regarded jazz as his primary identity. Bebop remained his deepest passion, even though rock & roll and blues provided steadier compensation. During the period when bebop captivated New York, straight-ahead jazz and bebop musicians in New Orleans—the city where jazz originated—received remarkably scant notice from listeners.
The versatile Tyler adjusted to shifting tastes by joining forces with leading figures in the R&B world. He belonged to Dave Bartholomew’s band and contributed to sessions featuring Fats Domino, Little Richard, Allen Toussaint, and Dr. John. Even while delivering polished work in that style, attentive ears can detect bebop excursions on several numbers from his 1961 album Rockin' and Rollin'.
Once the peak years of R&B passed, Tyler accepted a regular position selling liquor, noting that reliable pay enhanced the pleasure of his sporadic performances. By the mid-'80s those performances increased in frequency as the saxophonist collaborated with prominent Crescent City jazz artists such as Ellis Marsalis and New Orleans’ “Tan Canary,” Johnny Adams.
Recognition of Tyler’s command arrived in 1986 through two Rounder Records releases, Graciously and Heritage. Both albums showcase strong performances by the artist alongside some of New Orleans’ finest musicians, including David Torkanowsky, James Singleton, Steve Masakowski, and Johnny Vidacovich of Astral Project renown, plus Clyde Kerr Jr. On Graciously the highlights comprise the title track together with “Count 'Em” and “Here’s That Rainy Day.” Heritage features striking vocals from Johnny Adams and Germaine Bazzle, widely esteemed as New Orleans’ foremost jazz and scat singer. Tyler, who frequently performed with Bazzle in her Gentlemen of Jazz, supplies refined accompaniment to her smoldering version of “Lush Life.” The saxophonist also delivers a memorable solo, carrying just the right touch of melancholy, on Johnny Adams’ moving interpretation of “I’ll Only Miss Her.”
Not long before Tyler’s passing in 1988 he assembled another distinguished collection, Simply Red, which gathers earlier Tyler material and includes such classics as “Peanut Vendor,” “Junk Village,” and “Double Whammy.” The recording stands as an appropriate testament to the saxophonist’s craft.
The versatile Tyler adjusted to shifting tastes by joining forces with leading figures in the R&B world. He belonged to Dave Bartholomew’s band and contributed to sessions featuring Fats Domino, Little Richard, Allen Toussaint, and Dr. John. Even while delivering polished work in that style, attentive ears can detect bebop excursions on several numbers from his 1961 album Rockin' and Rollin'.
Once the peak years of R&B passed, Tyler accepted a regular position selling liquor, noting that reliable pay enhanced the pleasure of his sporadic performances. By the mid-'80s those performances increased in frequency as the saxophonist collaborated with prominent Crescent City jazz artists such as Ellis Marsalis and New Orleans’ “Tan Canary,” Johnny Adams.
Recognition of Tyler’s command arrived in 1986 through two Rounder Records releases, Graciously and Heritage. Both albums showcase strong performances by the artist alongside some of New Orleans’ finest musicians, including David Torkanowsky, James Singleton, Steve Masakowski, and Johnny Vidacovich of Astral Project renown, plus Clyde Kerr Jr. On Graciously the highlights comprise the title track together with “Count 'Em” and “Here’s That Rainy Day.” Heritage features striking vocals from Johnny Adams and Germaine Bazzle, widely esteemed as New Orleans’ foremost jazz and scat singer. Tyler, who frequently performed with Bazzle in her Gentlemen of Jazz, supplies refined accompaniment to her smoldering version of “Lush Life.” The saxophonist also delivers a memorable solo, carrying just the right touch of melancholy, on Johnny Adams’ moving interpretation of “I’ll Only Miss Her.”
Not long before Tyler’s passing in 1988 he assembled another distinguished collection, Simply Red, which gathers earlier Tyler material and includes such classics as “Peanut Vendor,” “Junk Village,” and “Double Whammy.” The recording stands as an appropriate testament to the saxophonist’s craft.
Albums
