Tribute to the life of David (Fathead) Newman

by Peter Westbrook (Excepted from a fuller, more detailed tribute)

Saxophonist and flutist David ‘Fathead’ Newman was best known as a star soloist with the Ray Charles band, but his multi-faceted career was much more than that. Forrest Dylan Bryant, writing at All About Jazz, summed it up well: “When David ‘Fathead’ Newman picks up his weathered tenor saxophone and begins to blow, he doesn’t compel you to listen with a towering tone or crazy acrobatics. He does it by connecting with his music on a human level, embodying a depth of feeling that suffuses the atmosphere of the room. You can’t help but breathe it in.”

Newman was born in Texas in 1933. He studied saxophone and worked in local bands until a scholarship allowed him to attend Jarvis Christian College where he studied theology and music. Later, David decided to serve his musical apprenticeship with altoist Buster Smith – an early mentor of Charlie Parker. On tour he met Ray Charles – they immediately became friends and in 1954 Charles invited Newman to join him. Newman stayed for twelve years, beginning as the baritone sax player, but later becoming a star soloist on tenor. Charles also helped Newman to record his first album as a leader in 1959 on the Atlantic label.

Leaving Ray Charles, Newman moved to New York City where he continued to record for several labels, including, Atlantic, Warner Brothers and Prestige, with such artists as Aretha Franklin, Hank Crawford, and Aaron Neville. He met Herbie Mann who asked him to join his famous Family of Mann group. It was an interesting partnership, especially as Newman also played the flute.

“I had had a little inkling to pick up the flute and start playing it as it was a mellow sounding instrument and I really liked the sound of it. I was in Orlando Florida and I happened to pass by this pawn shop, and they had these two beautiful Haynes wooden flutes there, ebony flutes, one alto and one C. So I purchased the C flute. It was very reasonable – the guy only wanted 25 bucks for it – he didn’t realize its value. And when I got back to the band and showed it to the guys they said, ‘Do you know what you have there?’ I said, ‘Well yes, it’s a wooden flute.’ And they said, ‘That’s not just a wooden flute, it’s a Haynes, that’s a very expensive instrument.’”

“So I started on it – I never took lessons – I taught myself how to play it – I am pretty much self-taught on the flute. And then I started recording on it. I was recording with Atlantic Records and so I started doing flute tunes on some of my LPs on that label, and since the late 70s and early 80s I started featuring the flute more and more. Now it’s on most of my recordings.” Indeed, Newman made a unique contribution to the flute in jazz. Like his personality, his flute was warm, straightforward, direct, and very musical. His contribution to this instrument was recognized by his inclusion on a unique collection, Heavy Flute, from 2000 – that also included Herbie Mann, Yusef Lateef, Charles Lloyd, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Hubert Laws.

In the late nineties he recorded seven CDs, including a tribute to Ray Charles, I Remember Brother Ray, that became the ‘#1 Most Played Jazz Album’ nationwide, and his most recent release, Life. He received a Grammy nomination in 1990 for Bluesiana Triangle with Dr. John and Art Blakey, and an INDIE for best traditional jazz record, for Return To The Wide Open Spaces featuring James Clay, Ellis Marsalis and Leroy Cooper.

For more information: http://www.davidfatheadnewman.com/
and The Flute in Jazz: Window on World Music (www.fluteinjazz.com).

Jim Langabeer is a flute player, teacher, composer and lecturer, and a jazz specialist. He is an international multi instrumentalist with many concert and recording credits. Jim was recently recognised as a NZ Musicians' Musician for his contributions as a performer, teacher, and ensemble leader. Hear Jim on soprano sax & flute on Afro Blue at http://www.amplifier.co.nz/release/51252/africa-aroha.html (Photo - Ron Weiss)