Jazz goes to... Johnnie Pate

Johnnie Pate Trio

Plus Three

Jazz Goes Ivy League

John William Pate (born December 5, 1923) is an American former musician, a jazz bassist who became a producer, arranger, and leading figure in Chicago soul, pop, and rhythm and blues.

He learned piano and tuba as a child and later picked up the bass guitar. He learned arranging while serving in the United States Army.

Following stints with Coleridge Davis and Stuff Smith in the 1940s, in 1951, Pate was recording on Chess Records with Eddie South and his Orchestra, credited on bass and arrangements. This was also the first of a series of Chess recordings on which Pate collaborated with saxophonist Eddie Johnson. In the 1950s, he was also a resident arranger for Red Saunders' house band at the Club DeLisa. Pate's arranging skills were greatly influenced by Quincy Jones, whom he was an "avowed disciple" of.

Johnny Pate's trio recorded for a number of Chicago labels, including Gig and Talisman. For the Cincinnati-based Federal Records, the Johnny Pate Quintet had a hit with "Swinging Shepherd Blues", which reached No. 17 on the Billboard R&B chart in spring 1958.

One of the last albums on which Pate played bass was James Moody's 1958 album Last Train from Overbrook, on the Chess subsidiary, Argo Records.

In the late 1960s, Pate served as a national trustee on the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and he was very instrumental in bringing the Grammy Awards to television.

Pate turned 100 on December 5, 2023. *wikipedia.org*

Colloquialisms, neoterisms, and jargons, have been the innate privilege of Youth Americana. Thus the term lvy League. It would seem that the Ivy Leaguer would be solely confined to a particular type of college student. It is true that the embryo came from our colleges, but more significant is the fact that whether or not the Ivy Leaguer dares normal convention in his attire, general appearance and way of life is not important, but rather his willingness to accept new concepts and ideas. The Ivy Leaguer no longer can be confined to our colleges, but rather to all those who are young in heart and spirit. Thus we have dedicated this LP to the Ivy Leaguer or to all who are young in heart... for these people are sincere Ivy Leaguers. The sounds you hear and the interpretation are truly Ivy League.

Johnnie Pate not only is a bassist but a great young composer and arranger, having studied at Midwestern Conservatory in Chicago. He has worked with Red Allen, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and a host of others. Since then Johnnie has formed the Johnnie Pate Trio which was voted the outstanding jazz combo in Chicago for two consecutive years 1956-57. Some of his original works have been recorded by George Shearing and Eddie South. *(liner notes)*

An excellent bit of jazz from the Chicago scene — featuring the early roots of a set of players that would go onto influence the city's soul scene in a huge way. Johnnie Pate's probably best known as the arranger behind many great soul singles — including most of the Impressions 60s work — but he's playing bass here with a group that includes other great soul studio talents, like Charles Stepney on vibes, Lennie Druss on flute, Floyd Morris on piano, and Wilbur Wynne on guitar. The tracks are longish — with kind of a soul jazz take on the chamber jazz groove of the west coast, showing the first signs of the evolution of the jazz sophistication that would influence Stepney's later productions for Cadet, or Druss' work in the Soulful Strings. Titles include "Nita", "Que Jay", "Currant Jelly", and "Soulful Delight".  *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - Nita

2 - Blues For The Ivy Leaguer

3 - Que Jay

Side 2

4 - Current Jelly

5 - Karen

6 - Soulful Delight

(All compositions by Johnnie Pate)

Lennie "Lenny" Druss (flute), Charles Stepney (vibes), Floyd Morris (piano),

Wilbur Wynne (guitar), Johnny Pate (bass), Vernell Fournier (drums).

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois, October 16 (#4, #5, #6) and October 22 (#1, #2, #3), 1957