Joe Puma


Joe Puma was an American jazz guitarist.
Puma was born in the Bronx, New York. His first professional experience came with Joe Roland in 1949–50. He played in the band led by Cy Coleman. He acted as a session musician for many jazz musicians during the 1950s, including Louie Bellson, Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five, Eddie Bert, Herbie Mann, Mat Mathews, Chris Connor, and Paul Quinichette, Lee Konitz, and Dick Hyman; he also recorded extensively as a leader at this time. In the 1960s, he worked with Morgana King, Bobby Hackett, Gary Burton, and Carmen McRae, and between 1972 and 1977 he and Chuck Wayne led an ensemble. He continued to perform and teach into the late 1990s.

Honors

In 1957 he won the New Star Award for Guitar from Metronome Magazine.

Discography

As leader

With Louis Bellson
  • The Amazing Artistry of Louis Bellson
  • The Exciting Mr. Bellson
  • Skin Deep
With Chris Connor
  • This Is Chris
  • Chris
  • Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Song
  • A Jazz Date with Chris Connor
With Morgana King
With Herbie Mann
  • Flamingo
  • Herbie Mann Plays
  • Love and the Weather
  • The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet
  • Flute Soufflé
  • Flute Flight
  • Salute to the Flute
  • Yardbird Suite
  • The Jazz We Heard Last Summer
  • Sultry Serenade
  • Gone Native
  • When Lights Are Low
With Artie Shaw
With others