Originally posted February 2021:
A Man and His Music: Patience Higgins
Greetings friends, this is regarding my Facebook post “Prayers for Patience Higgins”:
Recently I solicited your prayers on behalf of Mr. Patience Higgins, a friend and extraordinary musician and artist known and loved among many of us within the jazz and performing arts community. I have received reports from reliable sources that Patience has recently been released from hospital after contracting Covid-19. I’m happy to report he is now home for his continued convalescence and recovery. For those who may not be as acquainted with the breadth of Patience’s engagement with music, jazz, and the cultural arts; below is a brief Wikipedia History of his illustrious career.
The albums and recordings on which he appears are not listed below due to his extensive discography. Thank you for your warm response and continued prayers for beloved friend. The pandemic has not spared any. It has especially devastating among the musician and artists community. Let’s continue to fight this scourge, and the surest line of defense is for each of us to please get your vaccination(s) ASAP. For more information about Patience Higgins see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patience_Higgins
From Wikipedia:
Patience Higgins is a New York-based jazz saxophonist, flutist, and multi-reed musician.[1] He also plays clarinet, oboe, and English horn. He has performed with Duke Ellington Orchestra, Barry Harris, Archie Shepp, Jimmy Scott, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito D’Rivera, Cleo Laine, and The Sugar Hill Jazz Quartet. Higgins has a history as a Broadway musician. He is a music educator and teaches at the New York Jazz Music School. Higgins has toured with the tour with Duke Ellington and Count Basie Orchestras.[2][3][4]
In 1998 he was featured artist playing saxophone and flute for double Grammy Award-winning recording Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Dear Ella.[5]
Higgins along with the Sugar Hill Quartet were the house band for the Lenox Lounge, and regular Monday night sessions at St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem. His 1998 album ‘Live in Harlem’ documents Monday night sessions at St. Nick’s Pub.[6][7]
Contents
Career[edit]
Higgins has also performed with the Duke Ellington Band under the direction of Mercer Ellington, and Paul Ellington. He has been a member of the Duke Ellington Band for over twenty years. He has toured and recorded with Frank Foster, Rodney Kendrick, Yoko Ono, Cleo Laine and The Sugar Hill Jazz Quartet, Vanessa Rubin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, The Pointer Sisters, Don Byron, Hamiett Bluiett, The Boys Choir of Harlem, Nicolas Payton, David Murray, Aretha Franklin, Savion Glover, Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, Sam Rivers, Charles Tolliver, Sam and Dave, Bobby Watson & Tailor Made, Archie Shepp, Wilson Pickett, Barry Harris, Muhal Richard Abrams, Stevie Wonder, Paquito D’Rivera, James Zollar, Bobby Short, Chip White, Wilson Pickett, Joey DeFrancesco, Kiane Zawadi, Eli Fountain, Leopaldo Fleming.[8][9][5][10][11][12]
Movie Soundtracks[edit]
Theater Credits[edit]
- AVE Q, DREAMGIRLS
- RUNAWAYS
- THE WIZ
- AIN’T MISBHEVIN’
- BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR
- BLACK & BLUE
- HAIR
- SOPHISTICATED LADIES
- JELLY’S LAST JAM
- 5 GUYS NAMED MOE
- CHICAGO[14]
Jazz Festivals[edit]
- NORTH SEA
- PORI
- MONTREAUX
- JVC
- NANCY
- WILLASAU
- VIENNE
- BERLIN
- PLAY BOY
- MONTEREY
- NEWPORT
- GLASKOW
- COPENHAGEN
- MONTREAL
- JAZZ HERITAGE in New Orleans.
- CHARLIE PARKER JAZZ FESTIVAL (in New York City)
