Joe Puma

For half a century Joe Puma ranked among the most accomplished guitarists on the scene, sustaining a consistent yet understated career that enriched countless sessions while rarely drawing attention to himself. Born into a family steeped in music—several relatives also played guitar—he landed his first significant engagement alongside vibraphonist Joe Roland from 1949 to 1950. Throughout the 1950s he contributed to dozens of recording dates, appearing with Roland, Louie Bellson, Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five in 1954, Eddie Bert, Herbie Mann, Mat Mathews, Chris Connor, and Paul Quinichette, among others, making him a ubiquitous presence in New York studios at the time. He spent two years accompanying vocalist Morgana King and, during the 1960s, recorded with Bobby Hackett, Gary Burton in 1964, Carmen McRae, and many additional artists. Between 1972 and 1977 he co-led a duo with guitarist Chuck Wayne, subsequently took up teaching, and continued performing on a part-time basis into the late 1990s. Puma led his own sessions for Bethlehem, Dawn, Jubilee, Columbia, and Reservoir. His final album as a leader, It’s a Blue World, was cut in 1997 and issued two years later by Euphoria Jazz. He also featured on the Warren Vaché release What Is There to Say?, taped in 1999 and put out the next year on Nagel Heyer. Puma succumbed to cancer in New York City on May 31, 2000, at the age of 72.