July 22, 1934 – February 3, 1992

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Tenor saxophone player Junior Cook was born on July 22, 1934, in Pensacola, Florida.

Cook started out performing with Dizzy Gillespie in 1958 before joining the “Horace Silver Quintet” later that year.

After gaining fame over the course of his time with the band Junior left the group along with trumpeter Blue Mitchell in 1964 and spent the next five years performing with Mitchell’s Quintet.

During the 1970s he would work with artists including Elvin Jones, George Coleman, Freddie Hubbard, and Louis Hayes and taught at Berklee School of Music prior to a stint with Bill Hardman from 1979 to 1989.

In addition, he also appeared with the McCoy Tyner big band and recorded a number of albums as a leader beginning with “Junior’s Cookin’” for the Jazzland label in 1961.

Before his death in the early ’90s, Junior Cook was leading his own group and playing with Clifford Jordan.

Personnel: 

Junior Cook – tenor sax
Blue Mitchell – trumpet
Horace Silver – piano
Gene Tailor – bass
Louis Hayes – drums

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