Gigi Gryce
November 28, 1925 – March 17, 1983
| Instrument | alto sax |
| Birthplace | Pensacola, FL |
Available Leadsheets
- B.G.'s Holiday - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Basheer's Dream - Gigi Gryce Latin (Mambo)
- Batland - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium)
- Blue Concept - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Blue Lights - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium)
- Boxer's Blues - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium)
- Capri - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Casino - Gigi Gryce Swing (uptempo)
- Evening In Casablanca - Gigi Gryce Ballad
- Exhibit A - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Hello - Gigi Gryce Ballad
- Hymn Of The Orient - Gigi Gryce Swing (uptempo)
- In A Meditating Mood - Gigi Gryce Ballad
- Infant's Song - Gigi Gryce Ballad
- Melody Express - Gigi Gryce Swing (uptempo)
- Minority - Gigi Gryce Latin/swing (medium up)
- Nica's Tempo - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Night At Tony's - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Rat Race Blues - Gigi Gryce Swing (uptempo)
- Reminiscing - Gigi Gryce Ballad
- Reminiscing (vocal) - Gigi Gryce & Jon Hendricks Ballad
- Salute To Birdland - Gigi Gryce Swing (uptempo)
- Sans Souci - Gigi Gryce Latin (Bolero)
- Satellite - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Shabozz - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Social Call - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium)
- Social Call (vocal) - Jon Hendricks & Gigi Gryce Swing (medium)
- Straight Ahead - Gigi Gryce Swing (slow)
- Stupendous-Lee - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium)
- Transfiguration - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Wake Up! - Gigi Gryce Swing (uptempo)
- Wildwood - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
- Yvette - Gigi Gryce Swing (medium up)
Gigi Gryce was a fine altoist in the 1950s, but it was his writing skills, both composing and arranging (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 on that trip.
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 relatively 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. To learn more about Gigi Gryce, check out Noal Cohen and Michael Fitzgerald's biography, Rat Race Blues - The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce.