Gene Ammons

Gene Ammons was an American tenor saxophonist, influential in the jazz genre, particularly noted for his contributions to soul and R&B music. Born in Chicago in 1925, he gained prominence in the 1940s, playing with notable artists such as Billy Eckstine and later leading his own bands. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he produced numerous acclaimed recordings, though his career was marred by two prison sentences related to narcotics. Ammons is recognized for helping to shape the Chicago school of tenor saxophone and is regarded as a key figure in the development of the soul jazz movement. He passed away in 1974 at the age of 49.

GENRES: Jazz, Tenor Saxophone