Paul Quinichette

Paul Quinichette earned the nickname “Vice Prez” early on because his tone and phrasing mirrored those of Lester Young so closely. Unlike most of Young’s disciples, who copied the saxophonist’s 1930s manner, Quinichette evoked the more mature sound Young displayed during the 1950s. Before establishing himself, he gained seasoning in the bands of Nat Towles, Lloyd Sherock, and Ernie Fields, then became a featured soloist with Jay McShann from 1942 to 1944. He spent the next two years on the West Coast alongside Johnny Otis, moved east with Louis Jordan, and worked in 1948–1949 with Lucky Millinder as well as with Red Allen and Hot Lips Page. During the period when Count Basie rebuilt his orchestra, Quinichette was a member from 1952 to 1953; the following year he appeared with Benny Goodman, recorded alongside Billie Holiday, and held his own on a date that also featured John Coltrane. For most of the decade he fronted his own groups and cut several strong, if plainly imitative, albums. Quinichette stepped away from music in the late 1950s to pursue a career as an electrical engineer, resurfacing only briefly in the early and mid-1970s to perform with Sammy Price, Brooks Kerr, and Buddy Tate before ill health compelled his final retirement.