Onaje Allan Gumbs

Early life and career Gumbs was born in Harlem, New York, to folks who immigrated towards United States on the Caribbean. Gambs'mother was from Montserrat and the father, a NYPD officer, was from Anguilla.) As a kid, Gumbs was fond of Henry Mancini's music from films and television. Gumbs graduated on the State University of New York at Fredonia and during his studies was a member of a jazz ensemble organized with the students. In 1971, Leroy Kirkland introduced Gumbs to Detroit guitarist Kenny Burrell, to whom Onage gave a demo tape. The following day, Gumbs received a phone call to experience with Burrell at the Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit. This work led to help promote performances with major jazz musicians for example bassist Larry Ridley as well as the Tad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra. During the early 1970s, Gumbs replaced Nat Adderley Jr. in the current jazz ensemble Natural Essence, which included Buddy Williams and T.S. Monk (drums and percussion), bassist Alex Blake and trombonist Earl McIntyre. Gumbs adopted the name Onaje was developed 1970s; this would mean sensitive. He met his future wife, Sandra Wright, in 1971 on a short teaching job in Buffalo, New York. They married later that decade and remained married until Gumbs'death in 2020. Inside the late 1970s, Gumbs signed with Woody Shaw and served as music director for R&B singer Phyllis Hyman. Later within his career, he worked extensively with Ronald Shannon Jackson, and in 2013, after Jackson's death, Gumbs recorded a solo piano album composing of improvisations on Jackson's compositions. He later taught within the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan and with the Litchfield Jazz Camp in Connecticut. "His collaboration using the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York with his fantastic work together with 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 a break down stroke and was hospitalized for a few days. In December of their year, he released an album in Japan titled Just Like Yesterday. He was accompanied on the album by Omar Hakim, Victor Bailey, Marcus McLaurin, William S. Patterson and Chuggy Carter. Since then, all visible symptoms of a stroke have disappeared. In February 2015, he was hospitalized for fourteen days, https://www.onajeallangumbs.com/ (www.onajeallangumbs.com) but surely could recover and resume composing and performing. Onaje Allan Gumbs perished on April 6, 2020 at the era of 70.