Biography
Though frequently overshadowed by his brother, the pianist Phineas Newborn, guitarist Calvin Newborn possessed nearly equivalent mastery of his chosen instrument. As a melodic interpreter of uncommon skill, he delivered lines marked by fluid motion and a pronounced blues feel while navigating intricate chord sequences with ease or providing understated support for singers. His career nevertheless suffered from scant documentation on record and from his choice to stay rooted in Memphis, where he performed for decades in neighborhood venues and alongside shifting ensembles. Between 1953 and 1958 he collaborated regularly with his sibling, both live and in the studio; the following year he became a member of Earl Hines’s band. In 1960 Newborn appeared on disc with Hines, and he subsequently toured and recorded with Lionel Hampton in New York and Paris as well as with Jimmy Forrest, Wild Bill Davis, Al Grey, and Freddie Roach during the first half of the 1960s. Although most of his appearances remained those of a sideman, Newborn released a modest number of albums under his own name from the 1990s onward, among them From the Hip for Rooster Blues in 1993, Up City for Omnifarious in 1998, and New Born for Yellow Dog Records in 2005—the same year Yellow Dog reissued Up City. The duo project Clazz (Classical Jazz), recorded with keyboardist and arranger Kenny Levine, surfaced on Omnifarious in 2011. Calvin Newborn passed away in Jacksonville, Florida, on December 1, 2018.
Albums
