Onaje Allan Gumbs

Early life and career Gumbs was born in Harlem, New York, to folks who immigrated to the United States on the Caribbean. Gambs'mother was from Montserrat with the exceptional father, a NYPD officer, was from Anguilla.) During a vacation, Gumbs was keen on Henry Mancini's music from films and television. Gumbs graduated from your State University of New York at Fredonia and during his studies was part of a jazz ensemble organized by the students. In 1971, Leroy Kirkland introduced Gumbs to Detroit guitarist Kenny Burrell, to whom Onage gave a demo tape. The very next day, Gumbs received a telephone call to try out with Burrell in the Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit. This work led to help promote performances with major jazz musicians including bassist Larry Ridley and also the Tad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra. During the early 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 in early 1970s; this would mean sensitive. He met his future wife, Sandra Wright, in 1971 within a short teaching job in Buffalo, New York. They married later that decade and remained married until Gumbs'death in 2020. In the late 1970s, Gumbs signed with Woody Shaw and served as music director for R&B singer Phyllis Hyman. Later in his career, he worked extensively with Ronald Shannon Jackson, plus in 2013, after Jackson's death, Gumbs recorded a solo piano album composing of improvisations on Jackson's compositions. He later taught in the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan and on the Litchfield Jazz Camp in Connecticut. "His collaboration together with the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York brilliant 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, https://www.onajeallangumbs.com/ (https://www.onajeallangumbs.com) Gumbs a break down 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 for the album by Omar Hakim, Victor Bailey, Marcus McLaurin, William S. Patterson and Chuggy Carter. Since that time, all visible signs and symptoms of a stroke have disappeared. In February 2015, he was hospitalized for a fortnight, but managed to recover and get back to composing and performing. Onaje Allan Gumbs passed away on April 6, 2020 at the era of 70.