The Cecil Payne-Benny Bailey Quintet

Cecil Payne Dossier#1 - An ongoing series of posts on one of the giants of baritone sax

The Cecil Payne-Benny Bailey Quintet       
Laren, Netherlands, April 3, 1980

Benny Bailey (t), Cecil Payne (barysax), Cees Slinger (p), John Clayton (b), John Engels (d).  
Blue 'n' Boogie

Notes on the rhythm section:

Cees Slinger (1929-2007): Influenced by Cedar Walton, Slinger was an important figure in Dutch modern jazz of the 1950s, both as the founder and leader of the hard bop combo "Diamond Five" and the accompanist of many visiting American jazz musicians. However, in post-Beatlemania Netherlands, he found it impossible to get gigs, so he gave up the idea of living as a musicians altogether and became a steel factory worker until 1974, when he was successfully persuaded by Philly Joe Jones to return to playing.


In his vast and somehow undocumented musical life Slinger has played with Stan Getz, Phil Woods, Don Byas, Quincy Jones, Thad Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer, Buddy DeFranco, Sonny Stitt, Jimmy Knepper, Bud Freeman, Zoot Sims, Slide Hampton and Ben Webster.

John Clayton (1952): After graduating from Indiana University's School of Music in 1975, he toured with the Monty Alexander Trio and the Count Basie Orchestra and then settled in as principal bassist with the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in Netherlands. More information on Mr Clayton can be found at his personal website.

John Engels (1935): This Dutch drummer has accompanied Stan Getz, Clifford Brown, Ben Webster, Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Griffin, Phil Woods, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Sonny Stitt and Chet Baker. He was a member of "Diamond Five" (see above) and apparently there is a documentary made about him by the name of A Day In the Life of Jazz Drummer which I haven't seen.