Joe Puma
Joe Puma (August 13, 1927 – May 31, 2000) was an American jazz guitarist.
Puma was born in the Bronx, New York. His first professional experience came with Joe Roland in 1949-50. He played in the band led by Cy Coleman.[1] He acted as a session musician for many jazz musicians of the 1950s, including Louie Bellson, Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five, Eddie Bert, Herbie Mann, Mat Mathews, Chris Connor, and Paul Quinichette, Lee Konitz and Dick Hyman;[2] he also recorded extensively as a leader at this time. In the 1960s he worked with Morgana King, Bobby Hackett, Gary Burton, and Carmen McRae, and between 1972 and 1977 he and Chuck Wayne led an ensemble. He continued to perform and teach into the late 1990s.
His song "Like Tweet" appeared in the movie Good Morning, Vietnam
Honors
In 1957 he won the New Star Award for Guitar from Metronome Magazine.[3]
Discography
As leader
- East Coast Jazz Series (Bethlehem, 1954)
- Joe Puma Quintet (Bethlehem, 1954)
- Wild Kitten (Dawn, 1957) with Steve Lacy, Herbie Mann, Oscar Pettiford
- Joe Puma Jazz Trio and Quartet (Jubilee, 1957)
- Like Tweet (Columbia, 1961)
- Interactions (Candid Productions/City Hall, 1974)
- Shining Hour (Reservoir, 1984) with Hod O'Brien and Red Mitchell
- It's a Blue World (Euphoria Jazz, 1999) with Murray Wall and Eddie Locke
- What Is There to Say? (Nagel Heyer, 2000) with Warren Vaché
- The Jazz Guitar of Joe Puma (Fresh Sound, 2007) (compilation)[4]
As sideman
With Chris Connor
- Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Songs (Atlantic, 1957)
With Louis Bellson
With Gary Burton
- The Groovy Sound of Music (RCA, 1963)
With Herbie Mann
- Flamingo (Bethlehem, 1955)
- The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet (Bethlehem, 1955) with Sam Most
- Herbie Mann Plays (Bethlehem, 1956)
- Love and the Weather (Bethlehem, 1956)
- Flute Flight (Prestige, 1957) with Bobby Jaspar
- Flute Soufflé (Prestige, 1957) with Bobby Jaspar
- Sultry Serenade (Riverside, 1957)
- Salute to the Flute (Epic, 1957)
- The Jazz We Heard Last Summer (Savoy, 1957)
- Yardbird Suite (Savoy, 1957)
With Helen Merrill
- Chasin' the Bird (EmArcy, 1979)
With Gail Wynters
- My Shining Hour (Naxos, 1998)
With Webster Young
- For Lady (Prestige, 1957)