* En anglais uniquement
There's some doubt about the birth date of composer and trumpeter
Cal Massey, with some accounts having him born on January 11, 1928. But there's no question about his ability as a composer;
Massey wrote some poignant and compelling material, and had works recorded by
John Coltrane,
Freddie Hubbard,
Jackie McLean,
Lee Morgan,
Philly Joe Jones, and
Archie Shepp, among others. Some
Massey numbers that were cut included "Bakai" by
Coltrane, "Fiesta" by
Jones, "Assunta, Father and Son" by
Hubbard, "Message from Trane" by
McLean, and "Cry of My People" by
Shepp.
Massey studied trumpet with Freddie Webster and worked in big bands led by
Jay McShann,
Jimmy Heath, and
Billie Holiday.
Massey then opted to concentrate on composing and didn't do much playing during the rest of his career, although he did lead an ensemble that included
Jimmy Garrison,
McCoy Tyner, and
Tootie Heath in the late '50s. This group played
Massey's compositions, and had periodic guest appearances from
Coltrane and
Donald Byrd.
Massey worked and toured with
Archie Shepp from 1969 until his death in 1972, and he also worked with
Romulus Franceschini, co-founding the RoMas Orchestra, which also performed
Massey compositions. His musical play Lady Day: A Musical Tragedy was
Massey's final work. The
Shepp albums
Attica Blues,
Things Have Got to Change, and
Cry of My People contain several
Massey compositions and there is a Candid CD,
Blues to Coltrane, featuring rare examples of
Massey's fine trumpet playing. ~ Ron Wynn