Gigi Gryce was a fine altoist in the 1950s, but it was his writing skills (including composing the standard "Minority") that were considered most notable. After growing up in Hartford, CT, and studying at the Boston Conservatory and in Paris,
Gryce worked in New York with
Max Roach,
Tadd Dameron, and
Clifford Brown. He toured Europe in 1953 with
Lionel Hampton and led several sessions in France. After freelancing in 1954 (including recording with
Thelonious Monk),
Gryce worked with
Oscar Pettiford's groups (1955-1957) and led
the Jazz Lab Quintet (1955-1958), a band featuring
Donald Byrd. He had a quintet with
Richard Williams during 1959-1961, but then stopped playing altogether to become a teacher. During his short career,
Gigi Gryce recorded as a leader for Vogue (many of the releases have been issued domestically on Prestige), Savoy, Metrojazz, New Jazz, and Mercury. ~ Scott Yanow