Sahib Shihab

Biography

Sahib Shihab, born Edmund Gregory on June 23, 1925, in Savannah, Georgia, began his musical journey early, playing professionally with Luther Henderson's band at age 13 while studying with Elmer Snowden. He attended the Boston Conservatory from 1941-1942, then worked as lead alto saxophonist in Fletcher Henderson's band (1944-1945) billed as Eddie Gregory, and performed with Roy Eldridge. In 1947, he converted to Islam—introduced by trumpeter Talib Dawud—adopting the name Sahib Shihab, and immersed himself in the bebop scene, recording with Thelonious Monk on Blue Note sessions including Genius of Modern Music: Volume 2 (1951), and collaborating with Art Blakey, Tadd Dameron, Kenny Dorham, and Benny Golson.

Shihab switched to baritone saxophone during his stint with Dizzy Gillespie's big band (1951-1952), becoming renowned for his fluent, gruff tone on that instrument, as well as alto, soprano, and flute—one of the earliest boppers to prominently feature flute. He played with Illinois Jacquet (1952-1955), Oscar Pettiford (1957), and Quincy Jones' big band (1959-1960), after which he settled in Europe (mostly Copenhagen) until 1986, escaping U.S. racism. There, he was a key member of the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band (1961-1972), contributing distinctive flute and baritone work, and performed with local Danish musicians like Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen while running a publishing firm with Kenny Drew.

Returning briefly to the U.S. (1973-1976) for session work in rock and pop, Shihab split time between New York and Copenhagen thereafter, partnering with Art Farmer and leading his combo 'Dues.' From 1986, he served as a visiting artist at Rutgers University until his death from liver cancer on October 24, 1989, in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 64. His legacy endures as a versatile sideman bridging bebop, hard bop, and European jazz scenes.

Fun Facts

• One of the first jazz musicians to convert to Islam in 1947, changing his name from Edmund Gregory to Sahib Shihab after meeting Talib Dawud on 52nd Street.
• Pioneering hard bop flautist; applied advanced vocal effects to flute in Clarke-Boland Big Band recordings.
• Left the U.S. in 1959 due to racism, spending most of his later career in Copenhagen, where he ran a publishing firm and record company with Kenny Drew.
• Recorded the psychedelic La Marche Dans Le Désert (1972) with Jef Gilson, featuring a 40-minute 'Mirage' blending free jazz, ambient, and rock elements.

Associated Acts

• The Sahib Shihab Quintet
• The Kenny Clarke - Francy Boland Big Band
• Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band - baritone saxophone
• Oscar Pettiford Orchestra
• Tadd Dameron and his Orchestra
• The Prestige All Stars
• Tony Scott and His Orchestra
• Thad Jones Eclipse
• The Kenny Clarke - Francy Boland Sextet - baritone saxophone

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Elmer Snowden - early teacher (private studies) [late 1930s]
• Talib Dawud - introduced to Islam leading to name change (N/A)

Key Collaborators

• Thelonious Monk - bebop recordings on alto sax (Genius of Modern Music: Volume 2 (1951), Round About Midnight) [1947-1951]
• Dizzy Gillespie - big band, switched to baritone sax (big band recordings) [1951-1952]
• Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland - long-term big band member, flute and baritone (Clarke-Boland Big Band LP (Atlantic, 1963), multiple recordings) [1961-1972]
• Quincy Jones - big band in Europe (big band tours) [1959-1960]
• Art Farmer - partnership in later years (live performances) [1980s]
• Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - performances with local Danish musicians (various sessions) [1960s-1980s]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #hard-bop, #jazz, #modal-jazz