Artist Name: Jerome Richardson Artist Biography: Although he was primarily known as a versatile and dependable session musician, Jerome Richardson (b. 11/15/20 Sealy, TX) was an excellent jazz soloist in the bop tradition. Richardson began on alto sax at age 8, had his first professional gig at 14, and continued his studies at San Francisco State College. While in the Navy (´42-´45) Richardson joined Marshall Royal´s dance band; upon leaving the military he played with Lionel Hampton (´49-´51) and Earl Hines´ (´52-´53) bands before moving to New York, where he freelanced with Lucky Millander, Cootie Williams, Chico Hamilton, and Gerry Mulligan, among others. Richardson was the lead alto in the famous Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Group (´65-´71), but in 1971 he moved to Hollywood, where he worked primarily as a studio musician, often for Quincy Jones. He has occasionally resurfaced as a jazz player, working with Art Farmer and Clifford Jordan since retiring to New York in 1989. E-mail:   Web Site: