Onaje Allan Gumbs

Early life and career Gumbs was given birth to in Harlem, New York, to folks who immigrated on the United States through the Caribbean. Gambs'mother was from Montserrat and his father, a NYPD officer, was from Anguilla.) During a driving trip, Gumbs was fond of Henry Mancini's music from films and television. Gumbs graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia and during his studies was a member of a jazz ensemble organized by way of the students. In 1971, Leroy Kirkland introduced Gumbs to Detroit guitarist Kenny Burrell, to whom Onage gave a demo tape. The next day, Gumbs received a call to play with Burrell within the Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit. The work led to help expand performances with major jazz musicians just like bassist Larry Ridley plus the Tad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra. As a result of 1970s, Gumbs replaced Nat Adderley Jr. in the modern jazz ensemble Natural Essence, including Buddy Williams and T.S. Monk (drums and percussion), bassist Alex Blake and trombonist Earl McIntyre. Gumbs adopted the name Onaje during the early 1970s; it indicates sensitive. He met his future wife, Sandra Wright, in 1971 during a short teaching job in Buffalo, New York. They married later that decade and remained married until Gumbs'death in 2020. Within the late 1970s, Gumbs signed with Woody Shaw and served as music director for R&B singer Phyllis Hyman. Later in his career, https://www.onajeallangumbs.com/ (Related Homepag) he worked extensively with Ronald Shannon Jackson, as well as in 2013, after Jackson's death, Gumbs recorded a solo piano album comprising improvisations on Jackson's compositions. He later taught for the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan and for the Litchfield Jazz Camp in Connecticut. "His collaboration while using the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York brilliant work using the Litchfield Jazz Camp in New Milford, Connecticut have allowed him to broaden his vision and shape young minds."

Later life On January 24, 2010, Gumbs suffered a stroke and was hospitalized for 2 days. In December of this year, he released an album in Japan titled Just Like Yesterday. He was accompanied within the album by Omar Hakim, Victor Bailey, Marcus McLaurin, William S. Patterson and Chuggy Carter. After that, all visible signs of a stroke have disappeared. In February 2015, he was hospitalized for fourteen days, but managed to recover and come back to composing and performing. Onaje Allan Gumbs died on April 6, 2020 at the age of 70.