[78-L] Buddy Collette

[Cary Ginell]

Jazz musician Buddy Collette passed away on Sunday at the age of 89. He was a great advocate for the rights of African American musicians in Los Angeles. In 1953, Collette helped merge the then all-African American musicians union Local 767 with the all-white Local 47. Collette was a brilliant musician who played saxophone, clarinet, and flute. I did an interview with him once when I was doing a radio program honoring Gerald Wilson and Collette was marvelous to talk to; an elegant, well-spoken and thoughtful gentleman (he reminded me of Benny Carter in that regard). Collette served on the faculties of four local colleges and champiioned the documenting of musicians in the Central Avenue area (the UCLA Oral History Project, "Central Avenue Sounds"). He also integrated the Academy Awards band and opened up many opportunities for black musicians in L.A. As one of the his LP titles for Contemporary states, Buddy Collette was "A Man of Many Parts."
 
Here's his obituary in the L.A. Times. 
 
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/09/buddy-collette-la-jazz-musician-and-activist-dies-at-89.html
 
Cary Ginell