JIMMY FORD

Ford, James Martin (Jimmy) (1927–1994). Alto saxophonist James Martin (Jimmy) Ford was born in Houston on June 16, 1927. He was the first Caucasian to join the jazz band of Houston native Milt Larkin. He played with the orchestra in 1947 and 1948 and was referred to as the "white Bird" because his performance style was patterned on that of Charlie Parker. Ford toured with trombonist Kai Winding's group in 1948 and later worked at the Royal Roost in New York with pianist-composer-arranger Tadd Dameron, whose band included bebop giants Fats Navarro and Kenny Clarke. For much of 1951 Ford played in New York with Parker's former trumpeter, Red Rodney, with whom he recorded on tenor. In 1951–52 he also worked at times with another outstanding bebop musician, pianist Bud Powell. Soon afterward Ford returned to Houston, but by 1957 he was back in New York, where he joined the Maynard Ferguson read more...