Gene Ammons
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Son of the great oogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons (who was nicknamed Jug) left Chicago at age 18 to work with King Kolaxs band. He originally came to fame as a key soloist with Billy Eckstines orchestra during 1944-1947, trading off with Dexter Gordon on the famous Eckstine record Blowing the Blues Away. Other than a notable stint with Woody Hermans Third Herd in 1949 and an attempt at co-leading a two tenor group in the early 50s with Sonny Stitt, Ammons worked as a single throughout his career, recording frequently (most notably for Prestige) in settings ranging from quartets and organ combos to all-star jam sessions. Drug problems kept him in prison during much of 1958-1960 and, due to a particularly stiff sentence, 1962-1969. When Ammons returned to the scene in 1969, he opened up his style a bit, including some of the emotional cries of the avant-garde while utilizing funky rhythm sections, but he was still able to battle Sonny Stitt on his own terms. Ironically the last song that he ever recorded (just a short time before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer) was Goodbye.
