Dave Pell


David Pell was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and record producer. He was best known for leading a cool jazz octet in the 1950s.

Biography

Pell played in his teens with the big bands of Tony Pastor, Bob Astor, and Bobby Sherwood. In the 1940s he moved to California, where he played on Bob Crosby's radio show in 1946 and became a member of Les Brown's band from 1947 to 1955.
In 1953, he began working with his own ensembles, mostly as an octet with Pell on tenor saxophone, another saxophone. Among the octet players were Pepper Adams, Benny Carter, Mel Lewis, Red Mitchell, Marty Paich, Art Pepper and, early his career, John Williams. These ensembles recorded in the 1950s for Atlantic, Kapp, Coral, Capitol, and RCA Victor. Pell also worked as a sideman for Shorty Rogers, Pete Rugolo, Benny Goodman, and Gene Krupa. He produced music in the 1950s and 1960s for Tops, Uni and Liberty; among his credits were singles by Gary Lewis & the Playboys.
In 1961, Pell switched to alto saxophone and clarinet for a tribute album to John Kirby, who led a small group in the 1930s and 1940s.
Pell was the recording session leader for the 1965 hit song "No Matter What Shape ", performed by a group of Los Angeles studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew but attributed to The T-Bones.
In the 1970s, he assembled the group Prez Conference, a Lester Young tribute ensemble. In the 1980s, he returned to the octet format, and played on and off into the 1990s.

Personal life

Pell had two daughters, Sandra and Suzanne. He died on May 7, 2017, at the age of 92.

Discography

As leader

  • Plays a Gallery of Seldom Heard Tunes by Irving Berlin
  • Plays a Folio of Seldom Heard Tunes by Rodgers & Hart
  • Rodgers and Hart
  • Jazz & Romantic Places
  • The Dave Pell Octet Plays Irving Berlin
  • Love Story
  • Jazz Goes Dancing
  • Plays Burke & Van Heusen with Lucy Ann Polk
  • Swingin' in the Ol' Corral
  • A Pell of a Time
  • The Dave Pell Octet Plays Irving Berlin
  • I Had the Craziest Dream
  • Swingin' School Songs
  • Campus Hop Jazz Goes Dancing
  • Plays Harry James' Big Band Sounds
  • Plays Perez Prado's Big Band Sounds
  • Dave Pell Plays Duke Ellington's Big Band Sounds
  • The Big Small Bands
  • The Old South Wails
  • Plays Lawrence Welk's Big Band Sounds
  • I Remember John Kirby
  • Plays Today's Hits in Jazz
  • Jazz Voices In Video
  • Mah-Na-Mah-Na
  • Dave Pell's Prez Conference
  • Dave Pell's Prez Conference in Celebration of Lester Young
  • The Dave Pell Octet Plays Again
  • Live at Alfonse's
  • ''Love Story''

    As sideman

With Les Brown
With John Graas
  • Jazz Lab 1
  • Jazz Lab 2
  • Westcoast Workshop
With Pete Rugolo
  • Music for Hi-Fi Bugs
  • Out On a Limb
  • An Adventure in Sound: Reeds in Hi-Fi
  • Rugolo Plays Kenton
With Mel Tormé
With others