Earl Bostic

Earl Bostic
Bostic in 1961
Background information
Born	Eugene Earl Bostic (1913-04-25)April 25, 1913 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	October 28, 1965(1965-10-28) (aged 52) Rochester, New York, U.S.
Genres	Jazz swing jump blues R&B
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Alto saxophone
Years active	1931–1965

Eugene Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, which he pioneered. He had a number of popular hits such as "Flamingo", "Harlem Nocturne", "Temptation", "Sleep", "Special Delivery Stomp", and "Where or When", which featured his characteristic growl on the horn. He was a major influence on John Coltrane.

Career

Bostic was born in 1913 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In his youth, he played the clarinet in school and saxophone with the local Boy Scouts troop. He turned professional at the age of 18 when he joined Terence Holder's "Twelve Clouds of Joy". Bostic made his first recording with Lionel Hampton in October 1939,