Biography: Al Cooper, Al di Meola, Al Dreares, Al Drootin, Al Fairweather, Al Foster, Al Francis, Al Gande, Al Green, Al Grey,

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Alto saxophonist, clarinetist and bandleader Al Cooper was best known for being a founding member and the leader of The Savoy Sultans from 1937 to 1946 Cooper played early in his career at the 101 Club on Lenox Avenue in New York and some other clubs in New Jersey and Pleasantville

Guitarist Al di Meola first rose to prominence as a blazing jazz fusion player before his playing matured and he began to conquer other styles, such as acoustic Latin music Born on July 22, 1954, in Jersey City, NJ, di Meola briefly studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston during the early ’70s before accepting a job replacing guitarist Bill Connors in fusion trailblazers Return to Forever (a group that included such monster instrumentalists as keyboardist Chick Corea and bassist Stanley Clarke) in 1974

This drummer was a childhood friend of trumpeter Fats Navarro in Key West, FL, shedding immediate light on Al Dreares’ type of jazz: superior, straight-ahead hard bop devoid of either pretension or commercial gloss

Al Drootin, a classic jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who recorded very little, was born in the United States, Boston to be more precise; unlike brother Buzzy Drootin who was born in the Ukraine, Kiev to be exact

Al Fairweather Biography, Photos, Pictures

While there was once a jazz fusion band named Weather Report, the surname of this Scottish trad jazz trumpeter is a weather report in itself Al Fairweather, a staunch and loyal follower of classic jazz brass stylists such as Louis Armstrong and Roy Eldridge, was part of a collaborative band with a fellow Scotsman, clarinetist Sandy Brown, that was active for nearly a decade beginning in 1948

Al Foster was born in Richmond, VA, but was raised in New York He taught himself drums at about the age of 13, and by the age of 16 he was recording with Blue Mitchell (as “Aloysius Foster” on the Blue Note album The Thing to Do)

Francis was a vibist in the ’50s-’60s who struck out in a modern post-bop style and discovered a different voice on his chosen instrument He is one to seek and study

The surname Gandee could potentially be mistaken for the great pacificist and liberator of the Indian nation, even when shortened to Gande as was often the case with the subject of this biography

When R&B lovers hear the name Al Green, they immediately think of the Memphis soul singer who gave us ‘70s hits like “I’m Still in Love with You,” “Take Me to the River,” “Love and Happiness,” “Full of Fire” and “Let’s Stay Together”—that is, before he became a gospel-singing Protestant minister and gave up his career in secular music

Al Grey’s trademark phrases and often humorous use of the plunger mute long made him quite distinctive After getting out of the service, he was with the orchestras of Benny Carter (1945-1946), Jimmie Lunceford (1946-1947), Lucky Millinder, and Lionel Hampton (off and on during 1948-1953)