Jamaica in the 1950s and '60s was home to many great jazz musicians. The list of familiar names includes Monty Alexander, Don Shirley, Harold McNair, Montego Joe and Dizzy Reece. But there also were many others who may not be known to you. One of them is Wilton "Bogey" Gaynair, a mighty tenor saxophonist with a slippery-smokey feel reminiscent of Gene Ammons and Lucky Thompson. When you first hear Gaynair, you'll be taken by the size of his sound and how easily and lyrically he moved around on his instrument. Gaynair didn't waste notes, and all of his improvised lines tell a story.
Surprisingly, Gaynair recorded only three leadership albums. His first was Blue Bogey for the British Tempo label in August 1959, with Terry Shannon (p) Kenny Napper (b) and Bill Eyden (d). Like many Jamaican jazz musicians of the period, Gaynair learned his trade in Kingston listening diligently to recordings and backing touring American artists such as George Shearing and Carmen McRae.
Also interesting is that Gaynair was a student at Jamaica's famed Alpha Boys School, where Harold McNair and a number of other students would become jazz musicians. Like many Jamaican artists looking for greater work opportunities, Gaynair left Kingston for Europe in the mid-1950s, bypassing the U.S. My guess is that his decision had much to do with the sizable pool of saxophone greats in the States, the daunting task of finding work in a crowded market without the support of a record label, and fears of American segregation and civil rights strife.
Instead, Gaynair settled in Germany to be centrally located for gigs. Two of his three albums were recorded in London during visits there—Blue Bogey in 1959 and Africa Calling in 1960. His third album, Alpharian, was recorded in Cologne, German, in 1982.
While in Germany, Gaynair played with Gil Evans, Freddie Hubbard, Bob Brookmeyer, Mel Lewis and others passing through Europe on tour and recorded with Stan Getz, Horace Parlan and a range of German jazz musicians. In 1983, Gaynair suffered a stroke that kept him from playing the saxophone. He died in 1995.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find a download of Wilton Gaynair's Blue Bogey here for only $5.34 . You'll also find this album as well as Africa Calling at Spotify.
JazzWax clip: Here's Wilton Gaynair playing Joy Spring...
A special thanks to John Herr.
