Samuel Most (December 16, 1930 – June 13, 2013) was an American jazz flutist, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist, based in Los Angeles. He was "probably the first great jazz flutist", according to jazz historian Leonard Feather.
Most was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but moved to New York when he was 4. His Lithuanian immigrant parents loved to sing and encouraged the musical interests of their children, beginning with his older brother, Abe, who became a noted swing clarinetist. Drawn to the fast tempos and improvisation in the music of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Sam embraced bebop. He studied at the Manhattan School of Music and could play piano, saxophone and clarinet, but the flute was his favorite. He was a reed player with Dorsey by age 18 and also played with Shep Fields, Boyd Raeburn and Don Redman.
In 1953 he released his first recording, “Undercurrent Blues,” and, according to the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, “became established as the first bop flutist.” In 1954, he was awarded Downbeat’s “Critic’s New Star Award.” He also was noted for an unusual ability to simultaneously hum and play notes on the flute, a skill that he said gave his music an airy sound. Many flutists have credited him with being the first to hum and play at the same time. He developed that skill in the early 1950s, after discovering that if he hummed while he played, he made less noise with his instrument. That was desirable when he was practicing in his New York City apartment. “I found that by standing in the closet, playing and humming the same notes, I could hear myself and not disturb the neighbors,” he told The L.A. Times in 1998.
He led his own groups and played in other bands, including Buddy Rich’s orchestra, which he joined in 1959. After returning in 1961 from a tour with Rich of Asia and South America, Most settled in L.A. and performed mostly on alto saxophone with Louis Bellson. Later he divided his time between working with Red Norvo in Las Vegas and as a freelance musician in California. He also did session work with Terry Gibbs, Paul Quinichette, Clare Fisher, Tal Farlow, Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra.
He made more than 20 recordings for labels such as Debut, Bethlehem and Vanguard. Sam gained some new prominence with his Xanadu recordings of 1976-1979, and became a local fixture in Los Angeles, sometimes playing in clubs with his brother. “Though his sound may not be ‘legitimate’ by orthodox standards,” Feather wrote in the Los Angeles Times in 1978, “he is a rhythmically engaging performer whose peppery, witty style may take hold of a set of chord changes and never let go for a half-dozen beautifully constructed choruses.”Known for his scat singing and inspired improvisations, Most has been cited by younger players, including Hubert Laws and Yusef Lateef, as a major influence.
From 1987 Most, with producer Fernando Gelbard of Liquidjazz.com, recorded four albums, including Solo Flute. He was the guest of and played for the King of Thailand three times. He was the subject of Edmond Goff's documentary film Sam Most, Jazz Flutist (2001).One of his most notable recent recordings was a memorable encounter with distinguished clarinetist Mort Weiss, entitled Mort Weiss Meets Sam Most (2006). In 2012 Sam recorded “A Time for Love” with Bob Alcivar and the live album “Indian Summer” with the Rein de Graaff Trio. His very last recording, featuring all new compositions from the multi-talented Carl Saunders, was recorded and finished just a month prior to Most's passing.
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Sam Most died on June 13, 2013, from cancer, at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He was 82.Most, who lived in Tarzana, was a lifelong bachelor. In addition to his brother Bernard, of Durham, N.C., he is survived by two sisters, Fran Tutshen and Ruth Labensky, his twin, both of Long Island, N.Y. His brother Abe died in 2002.
(Edited
from the LA Times, Wikipedia, AllMusic & New Grove Dictionary of Jazz)
Jazz legend, Sam Most riffs with ace trombonist, Bob McChesnie and the Gary Fukashima Trio (Gary on piano, Ryan McGillicuddy bass, Ryan Doyle drums) do Green Dolphin Street at More Art's Stage One.