The son of
Tyree Glenn -- a trombonist and vibrophonist who played extensively with
Duke Ellington,
Cab Calloway, and
Louis Armstrong --
Roger Glenn likewise played vibraphones, but was known most prominently as a flutist. The younger
Glenn established himself in the industry with early ‘70s dates for
Mongo Santamaría, playing on
Mongo ‘70,
Mongo at Montreux, and
Mongo’s Way, where he first utilized his background in Latin jazz. Shortly after that, he became a valuable member of
Donald Byrd's extended musical family tree. Not only did he play on
Byrd’s
Black Byrd and
Street Lady, but he connected with the architects of those albums,
Fonce and
Larry Mizell, and played on their sessions with
Bobbi Humphrey (
Fancy Dancer) and Johnny Hammond (
Gears). In 1976, he led
Reachin’, a typically breezy
Mizell-assisted set released on Fantasy. After the late ‘70s, his studio time decreased, but he continued to perform on the West Coast (he relocated to San Francisco) and throughout Europe. A true mult-instrumentalist, he also played clarinet, oboe, and saxophone. ~ Andy Kellman