Ike Quebec

Pictures

png

Listen to, buy or share

Buy

Buy on Amazon Amazon Expand purchase options
  • Digital download
  • Amazon Amazon
  • 7digital 7digital
  • iTunes iTunes
  • Physical media
  • Amazon Amazon Search
  • eBay eBay Search
  • 278,310
    scrobbles
  • 37,681
    listeners

Tags

Everyone’s tags

Biography

Ike Abrams Quebec (born August 17, 1918 in Newark, New Jersey, died on January 16, 1963) was a jazz tenor saxophonist. His surname is pronounced KYOO-bek.

Critic Alex Henderson writes, “Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression.”

An accomplished dancer and pianist, he switched to tenor sax as his primary instrument in his early 20s, and quickly earned a reputation as a promising player. His recording career started in 1940, with the Barons of Rhythm.

Later on, he recorded or performed with Frankie Newton, Hot Lips Page, Roy Eldridge, Trummy Young, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins. Between 1944 and 1951, he worked intermittently with Cab Calloway. He recorded for Blue Note records in this era, and also served as a talent scout for the label (helping pianists Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell come to wider attention) and, due to his exceptional sight reading skills, was an uncredited impromptu arranger for many Blue Note sessions.

Due in part to struggles with drug addiction (but also due to the fading popularity of big band music), Quebec recorded only sporadically during the 1950s, though he still performed regularly. He kept abreast on new developments in jazz, and his later playing incorportated elements of hard bop and soul jazz.

In 1959 he began a what amounted to a comeback with a series of albums on the Blue Note label.
Read more… Edit bio

Top Albums

Listening Trend

37,681listeners all time
278,310scrobbles all time
Recent listeners trend:

Start scrobbling and track your listening history

Last.fm users scrobble the music they play in iTunes, Spotify, Rdio and over 200 other music players.

Create a Last.fm profile

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up.

  • deddsteal

    my nigga

    6 Feb 3:49am Reply

  • cards4life

    still can't get enough of it!

    28 Jan 2012 Reply

  • avalemert

    I feel silly, as a sax player, to admit that I just discovered Mr. Quebec's "Bossa Nova Soul Samba" a few days ago, bought it used so I could give his recordings a try...OH MY. I am so enamored with his honey-dripping tone! If you could give silk a "sound" I think you could say it is Ike Quebec's tenor.... Now, I feel the urge to make a mix with Ike, Ben Webster, Prez and Getz what a smoothie that will be! Bottoms up :-)

    25 Aug 2011 Reply

  • bernarducs

    blues and sentimental

    16 Apr 2011 Reply

  • JBThazard

    cards4life KNOWS.

    3 Apr 2011 Reply

  • cards4life

    "It Might As Well Be Spring" is my favorite jazz album of all time!

    13 Mar 2011 Reply

  • barryvs

    "Bossa Nova Soul Samba is so damn smooth. Love it" Definitely agree with this.

    9 Mar 2011 Reply

  • Sagittarius-

    so smooth

    6 Feb 2011 Reply

  • P_cell

    Bossa Nova Soul Samba is so damn smooth. Love it.

    28 Sep 2010 Reply

  • biomorfo

    GREWAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!

    29 Jul 2010 Reply

  • urizen81

    Blue and Sentimental is like fine wine

    28 May 2010 Reply

  • OhYesByAllMeans

    Why does he have only four shouts? WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!

    10 Apr 2010 Reply

  • thewavethewave

    sooooo good. 'blue and sentimental' is godly.

    24 Aug 2009 Reply

  • strajnic

    Pleasant sound!

    22 Apr 2009 Reply

  • F_Hole

    I like Ike!

    13 Dec 2007 Reply

  • javiwer

    One of the best tenor saxophonists ever. Forgotten genius.

    14 Nov 2007 Reply

Top Listeners