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Alvin "Red" Tyler was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame, but he considered himself to be first and foremost a jazz player. Bebop was his first love, but rock & roll and the blues paid the bills better. In an era when bebop took New York by storm, audiences paid shockingly little attention to the great musicians playing straight-ahead jazz and bebop in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz.
The adaptable
Red Tyler rolled with the punches, performing with some of the greats of the R&B tradition. He was a member of
Dave Bartholmew's band, and sat in on the recordings of big names from
Fats Domino to
Little Richard, and
Allen Toussaint to
Dr. John. While playing with characteristic excellence in that idiom, a careful listener can hear him break out into bebop on some of the songs collected in
Tyler's 1961 release, Rockin' and Rollin'.
When the heyday of R&B ended,
Tyler settled down with a day job as a liquor salesman, claiming that the steady income made his occasional gigs more enjoyable. By the mid-'80s, these gigs became more frequent, as the saxophonist worked with some of the Crescent City's most notable jazz luminaries, including
Ellis Marsalis and New Orleans' "Tan Canary,"
Johnny Adams.
Finally, in 1986,
Tyler's mastery was acknowledged in two recordings for Rounder Records:
Graciously and
Heritage. Each CD contains outstanding tracks by the artist, with help from some of New Orleans' most outstanding musicians.
Tyler is assisted by
David Torkanowsky,
James Singleton,
Steve Masakowski, and
Johnny Vidacovich of
Astral Project fame, along with
Clyde Kerr Jr. Standouts on
Graciously include the title cut, as well as "Count 'Em" and "Here's That Rainy Day." There are stunning vocals on
Heritage, contributed by
Johnny Adams and
Germaine Bazzle.
Bazzle is undoubtedly the most-revered jazz and scat singer in New Orleans.
Tyler, who worked often with
Bazzle as part of her Gentlemen of Jazz, provides sophisticated backup for her smoldering rendition of "Lush Life." The saxman takes a great solo with just the right note of melancholy on
Johnny Adams' gorgeous rendition of "I'll Only Miss Her."
Shortly before
Tyler's death in 1988, he put together another outstanding CD entitled Simply Red, a compendium of vintage
Tyler, containing classics like "Peanut Vendor,""Junk Village," and "Double Whammy." The recording serves as a fitting legacy of the saxophonist's artistry. ~ Rose of Sharon Witmer