Illinois Jacquet Dies

By I Jul. 23, 2004

Illinois Jacquet, the tenor saxophonist who is best known for his solo on Lionel Hampton’s “Flying Home,” died Thursday at his New York City home. He was 81.

Jacquet wrote his signature on jazz immortality in 1942 when, as a 19-year-old member of Lionel Hampton’s big band, he a took an incredible solo on Hampton’s “Flying Home.” He virtually built a career on that solo, which he claims came from divine inspiration, which ranks as one of the best improvisational performances in the 20th century.

Born in Boussard, La., on Oct. 31, 1922, Jacquet grow up in Houston, where he played in a band with his older brother, Russell, and worked in several bands around town before moving to Los Angeles in 1941. In L.A., he joined Hampton’s big band. His raw-boned tenor sound combined r&b bravado and jazz sophistication. He performed in the Jazz At The Philahramoic series, appeared in the jazz documentary, Jammin’ The Blues and in 1945 formed his own band. From the ‘50s to the present, Jacquet has recorded for many labels including Savoy, RCA, Mercury, Epic and Atlantic.

Into the ‘90s, Jacquet led one of the swingingest big bands on the scene still performing with the intensity that marked his ascendancy more than 50 ago.