Garvin Bushell

Garvin Bushell (né Garvin Lamont Payne; September 25, 1902 – October 31, 1991) was an American clarinetist, saxophonist, and bassoonist.^[1] He performed with many prominent 20th-century jazz musicians, including Jelly Roll Morton and John Coltrane.^[2][1]

Garvin Bushell
Garvin Bushell (standing, third from right) with Sam Wooding and his Orchestra, 1925
Background information
Birth name	Garvin Lamont Payne
Born	(1902-09-25)September 25, 1902 Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
Died	October 31, 1991(1991-10-31) (aged 89) Las Vegas, Nevada
Genres	Jazz, classical
Occupation(s)	Musician, educator
Instrument	Woodwind instruments

Early life

Bushell was born in Springfield, Ohio, to Alexander Payne, Jr. (1875–1908) and Effie Penn (maiden; 1879–1968). After his father's death, his mother – on January 12, 1910, in Covington, Kentucky – married Rev. Joseph Davenport Bushell (1878–1960). Garvin adopted the surname of his stepfather.

Career

Bushell played both jazz and classical music on clarinet, alto clarinet, oboe, english horn, flute, saxophone, bassoon, and contrabassoon.

He was best known as a jazz sideman with people such as Perry Bradford, and performed and/or recorded with many of jazz's great names, such as Fletcher Henderson, Bunk Johnson, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, Eric Dolphy, Gil Evans, and John Coltrane. Bushell never recorded as a session leader.

Bushell eventually settled in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked as a music teacher.^[3]

Personal life

Bushell – on July 24, 1923, in Manhattan – married Marie Roberts (maiden; 1902–1971), who, among other things, had been a member of the Chocolate Kiddies chorus for the 1925 European tour. Garvin was a member of the band for that tour.

Bushell – in 1965 in Manhattan – married Louise Olivari (maiden; 1925–1994), to whom he remained married until his death in 1991. Garvin and Louise had two sons, Garvin P. Bushell and Philip Bushell.

Discography

• John Coltrane, Africa/Brass (Impulse!, 1961)
• John Coltrane, The Other Village Vanguard Tapes ABC (Impulse!, 1977)
• Doc Cook/Johnny Dunn, Doc Cook and His Dreamland Orchestra and 14 Doctors of Syncopation/Johnny Dunn and His Band with Jelly Roll Morton (VJM, 1970)
• Wilbur de Paris, The Wild Jazz Age (Atlantic, 1960)
• Wilbur de Paris, On the Riviera (Atlantic, 1962)
• Gil Evans, The Individualism of Gil Evans (Verve, 1964)
• Ella Fitzgerald/Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald & the Chick Webb Orchestra (Joker, 1974)
• Fletcher Henderson All Stars, The Big Reunion (Jazztone, 1958)
• Barbara Lea, Lea in Love (Prestige, 1956)
• Kid Ory/Bunk Johnson, New Orleans Legends (CBS, 1975)
• Rex Stewart, Rendezvous with Rex (Felsted, 1959)
• Rex Stewart, Henderson Homecoming (United Artists, 1959)
• Ethel Waters, Ethel Waters 1938–1939 (RCA Victor, 1972)
• Chick Webb Orchestra/Ella Fitzgerald, Live Session at the Savoy Ballroom Harlem December 1939 (Musidisc, 1975)
• Edith Wilson, Edith Wilson/1921-22 (Fountain, 1974)
• Sam Wooding, Sam Wooding & His Chocolate Dandies (Biograph, 1970)