Gabe Baltazar

Gabriel Ruiz Hiroshi Baltazar Jr. (November 1, 1929 – June 12, 2022) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and woodwind doubler.

Background and early years Gabriel Ruiz Hiroshi Baltazar Jr. was born in Hilo, Hawaii on November 1, 1929. His mother, born Chiyoko Haraga on a Hawaii sugarcane plantation, was the daughter of Japanese immigrants who came to Hawaii to work on the plantations around 1900. His father, Gabriel Baltazar Sr., was born in Manila in 1906 and came to the United States to work as a musician in the mid-1920s. Gabe started playing reed instruments while his younger brother Norman Baltazar took up the trumpet.

Musical education, meeting with Charlie Parker, move to Los Angeles Gabe Baltazar was first playing music at the age of eleven when he was started on the E♭ clarinet, later he would switch to alto saxophone. There were numerous big bands stationed at Hickam Field during this time (World War II) and Baltazar got to hear Artie Shaw, Sam Donahue, and Claude Thornhill. Baltazar's main influences growing up were Benny Carter, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Willie Smith and Johnny Hodges. By age 16 (1946) he had already been playing professionally for two years and was first introduced to Charlie Parker's playing by jazz trombonist Frank Rehak. Baltazar notes his meeting with Charlie Parker during a visit to New York in 1948 as one of the biggest musical inspirations of his life. He questioned Parker extensively during this meeting and it would become an inspiration for his own playing to closely resemble that of the famed alto saxophonist. later moving to Los Angeles playing and recording with Paul Togawa in the late 1950s. Baltazar first attended Los Angeles City College on the G.I. bill and then later transferred in 1958 to Los Angeles State College following in the footsteps of the alto saxist and Stan Kenton alum Lennie Niehaus.

Discography As a Leader Stan Kenton presents Gabe Baltazar (Creative World, 1979) Gabe Baltazar Quartet: Back in Action (V.S.O.P., 1992) Gabe Baltazar: Birdology (Fresh Sound, 1992)

With Paul Togawa The Paul Togawa Quartet featuring Gabe Baltazar (Mode Records, 1957; V.S.O.P., 1987; CD issue: 1996)

With Stan Kenton Two Much! (Capitol, 1960) - with Ann Richards The Romantic Approach (Capitol, 1961) Kenton's West Side Story (Capitol, 1961) Sophisticated Approach (Capitol, 1961) Adventures in Standards (Creative World, 1961 [rel. 1975]) Adventures In Jazz (Capitol, 1961) Adventures in Blues (Capitol, 1961 [rel. 1963]) Adventures in Time (Capitol, 1962) Artistry in Bossa Nova (Capitol, 1963) Stan Kenton / Jean Turner (Capitol, 1963) - with Jean Turner Kenton / Wagner (Capitol, 1964)

With Gil Fuller Gil Fuller & the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra featuring Dizzy Gillespie (Pacific Jazz, 1965) Night Flight with Gil Fuller and James Moody (Pacific Jazz, 1965)

With Onzy Matthews Onzy Matthews: Mosaic Select (Originally recorded for Capitol 1963–1965. Mosaic, 2007) 3-CD set

With Oliver Nelson Sound Pieces (Impulse, 1966) Live from Los Angeles: Oliver Nelson's Big Band (Impulse, 1967)

With Richard Simon Groove Therapy (UFO Bass, 1995)

With Noel Okimoto Ohana: Featuring Makoto Ozone and Tiger Okoshi (Roy Sakuma Productions, 2003)