Georgia Auld

Georgia Auld (John Altwerger) is a Saxophoniste tenor, viola and soprano, and Leader American, born with Toronto (Canada) the May 19th 1919, died with Palm Springs (California), the January 8th 1990.

II the viola studies, then, after the listening of Coleman Hawkins, the tenor (1935-36), date on which it obtains its first professional engagement.

Sax at Bunny Berigan (1937-38), at Artie Shaw in 1938, at Jan Savitt (1940), then at Benny Goodman. In the orchestra of Benny Casing, it accompanies Billie Holiday in 1940, and records the first titles under its name.

Again at Artie Shaw in 1941, it becomes again in 1943 leader of a big band on the model of Count Basie. It records many titles, but in spite of the presence of important soloists (Dizzy Gillespie, Trummy Young, Al Killian, Joe Albany, Serge Chaloff, Al Porcino, Coleman Hawkins, Howard McGhee) and of arrangers talented (Manny Albam, Al Cohn, Neal Hefti, Gerry Mullligan), it remains in a semi darkness. Its career becomes chaotic in consequence of many pulmonary problems . It is however sideman at Billy Eckstine, Count Basie, Woody Hermann and many others and directs in the Fifties of many formations comprising artists West Coast and beboppers, but becomes owner of a club in California, returns to New York to settle with Las Vegas.

II records much on a carpet of cords and a vocal group, returns finally to more restricted groups for two discs in 1963. Then nothing notable in its production until its death continuations a cancer to the lung.

Auld is a saxophonist hawkinsien (his full and cordial, swingant), but who knew to integrate other influences (those of Hodges, Carter, Young, Webster, and to his juniors (young wolves bebop, Stan Getz).

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