A. K. Salim


Ahmad Khatab Salim or Ahmad Kharab Salim was an American jazz composer, and arranger.

Biography

Salim attended DuSable High School with Bennie Green, Dorothy Donegan and Gene Ammons and played alto saxophone in King Kolax's band from 1938 to 1939 before working with Jimmy Raschel and Tiny Bradshaw. He stopped playing after a jaw injury in 1943 and arranged music for the big bands of Lucky Millinder, Cab Calloway, Jimmy Lunceford, Lionel Hampton and Count Basie who recorded his composition "Normania" in 1949, and recorded it again in 1952 as "Blee Blop Blues". Salim left music for a career in real estate from 1949 to 1956 but returned to write and arrange Latin jazz for Tito Puente, Machito, Dizzy Gillespie and others. Salim released three albums under his leadership on Savoy Records in the late 1950s and recorded a further album for Prestige Records in 1964.
Salim died on January 1, 2003, aged 80.

Discography

As leader

Flute Suite with Frank Wess and Herbie MannStable Mates split album with Yusef LateefPretty for the People Blues Suite

As arranger/composer

With Count BasieBasie Jazz Basie in London Count Basie at Newport Basie at Birdland
With Dizzy GillespieWorld Statesman Dizzy Gillespie at Newport
With Herbie MannSalute to the Flute Flute, Brass, Vibes and Percussion
With Tito PuentePuente Goes Jazz Herman's Heat & Puente's Beat! with Woody Herman
With others