Biography
by Scott Yanow
One
of the most technically skilled and brilliant pianists in jazz during
his prime, Phineas Newborn remains a bit of a mystery. Plagued by mental
and physical problems of unknown origin, Newborn faded from the scene
in the mid-'60s, only to re-emerge at irregular intervals throughout his
life. Newborn could be compared to Oscar Peterson in that his bop-based
style was largely unclassifiable, his technique was phenomenal, and he
was very capable of enthralling an audience playing a full song with
just his left hand.
He started out working in Memphis R&B
bands with his brother, guitarist Calvin Newborn, and recorded with
local players including B.B. King in the early '50s. Brief stints with
Lionel Hampton and Willis Jackson preceded a period in the military
(1952-1954). After moving to New York in 1956, Newborn astounded fans
and critics alike. Although he worked briefly with Charles Mingus (1958)
and Roy Haynes, Newborn usually performed at the head of a trio or
quartet. His early recordings for Atlantic (1956), Victor, Roulette, and
Contemporary are quite outstanding. Unfortunately, after the mid-'60s,
Newborn's profile dropped sharply, and although there were further
recordings for Contemporary (1969), Atlantic (1969), Pablo (1976) and
the Japanese Philips (1977) label, and although he still sounded strong
when appearing in public, the pianist was in danger of being forgotten
by most of the jazz world during his last decade. Spending most of his
time in Memphis, he was an inspiration to many younger pianists
including James Williams, Harold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller, Donald Brown,
and Geoff Keezer, who after Newborn's death would dedicate their work as
the Contemporary Piano Ensemble to him. Fortunately, the episode of
Jazz Scene USA that features Phineas Newborn in 1962 has been made
available on a video by "Shanachie."
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/phineas-newborn-jr-mn0000335889/biography
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Biografía
por Scott Yanow
Phineas
Newborn, uno de los pianistas más brillantes y técnicamente hábiles del
jazz durante su época de esplendor, sigue siendo un misterio. Aquejado
de problemas mentales y físicos de origen desconocido, Newborn se
desvaneció de la escena a mediados de los años 60, para reaparecer a
intervalos irregulares a lo largo de su vida. Newborn podría compararse
con Oscar Peterson en el sentido de que su estilo basado en el bop era
en gran medida inclasificable, su técnica era fenomenal y era muy capaz
de cautivar al público tocando una canción completa sólo con la mano
izquierda.
Empezó trabajando en bandas de R&B de Memphis con
su hermano, el guitarrista Calvin Newborn, y grabó con músicos locales,
como B.B. King, a principios de los años 50. Tras un breve paso por
Lionel Hampton y Willis Jackson, pasó por el ejército (1952-1954). Tras
trasladarse a Nueva York en 1956, Newborn asombró a los fans y a la
crítica. Aunque trabajó brevemente con Charles Mingus (1958) y Roy
Haynes, Newborn solía actuar al frente de un trío o cuarteto. Sus
primeras grabaciones para Atlantic (1956), Victor, Roulette y
Contemporary son bastante destacadas. Desgraciadamente, a partir de
mediados de los años 60, el perfil de Newborn descendió bruscamente, y
aunque hubo más grabaciones para Contemporary (1969), Atlantic (1969),
Pablo (1976) y el sello japonés Philips (1977), y aunque seguía sonando
con fuerza cuando aparecía en público, el pianista corrió el peligro de
ser olvidado por la mayor parte del mundo del jazz durante su última
década. Al pasar la mayor parte de su tiempo en Memphis, fue una
inspiración para muchos pianistas más jóvenes, como James Williams,
Harold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller, Donald Brown y Geoff Keezer, que tras la
muerte de Newborn le dedicarían su trabajo como Contemporary Piano
Ensemble. Afortunadamente, el episodio de Jazz Scene USA en el que
aparece Phineas Newborn en 1962 está disponible en un vídeo de
"Shanachie".
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/phineas-newborn-jr-mn0000335889/biography