Cal Massey

Calvin "Cal" Massey (January 11, 1928 – October 25, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer.

Early life Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States,

Career In the mid-1950s, Massey led an ensemble in Philadelphia with Jimmy Garrison, McCoy Tyner, and Tootie Heath. On occasion, guests including John Coltrane and Donald Byrd played with Massey's group. According to jazz researcher Fred Ho, after his move to Brooklyn, Massey put together a new group. Tenor saxophonist Roland Alexander told Ho that the group included Alexander and Massey on saxophone and trumpet, with Sadik Hakim on piano, Roy Standard on bass, and Scoby Stroman on drums. "The band worked such Brooklyn clubs as the Moulin Rouge, The Turbo Village, and The Coronet. The band never worked outside of Brooklyn, according to Alexander. Massey in this period would occasionally do concerts with Sonny Stitt and Coltrane in Philadelphia. Alexander believed that the Brooklyn quartet worked for two or three years." However, Ho writes that according to Massey's wife Charlotte, "they often lived at the edge of poverty. Massey earned most of his money not from performing but from the many arrangements he wrote for local bands and singers."

In the 1950s, he gradually receded from active performance and concentrated on composition; his works were recorded by Coltrane, Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan, Philly Joe Jones, Horace Tapscott and Archie Shepp. Massey played and toured with Shepp from 1969 until 1972. He also performed in The Romas Orchestra with Romulus Franceschini.

Massey died from a heart attack at the age of 44 in New York City, New York.

Other musicians on the album are: Julius Watkins, French horn Patti Bown, piano Jimmy Garrison, bass Hugh Brodie, tenor saxophone G. T. Hogan, drums

As sideman/arranger

With George Shearing Satin Brass (Capitol Records, 1960)

With John Coltrane Africa/Brass (Impulse! Records, 1961)

With Archie Shepp Things Have Got To Change (Impulse! Records, 1971) Attica Blues (Impulse! Records, 1971) The Cry of My People (Impulse Records, 1973)

With Sonny Stitt Kaleidoscope (Prestige Records, 1957)