John Handy

John Richard Handy III, known as John Handy, was born on February 3, 1933, in Dallas, Texas. He is an American jazz musician and saxophonist who began his musical journey at the age of twelve by learning to play the clarinet. After moving to California with his family at fifteen, he adopted the saxophone and participated in various jam sessions. Handy studied music theory at San Francisco State University before moving to New York in 1958 to join Charles Mingus's band. Handy’s career took off when he recorded several albums as a leader for Roulette Records in the early 1960s, including In the Vernacular and No Coast Jazz. In 1962, he returned to San Francisco and formed his quintet. His performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1965 was notable, featuring a lineup that included Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. Throughout the late 1960s, Handy recorded for Columbia Records and composed Concerto for Jazz Soloist and Orchestra, which he performed with various ensembles, including the San Francisco Symphony. In 1976, his album Hard Work achieved commercial success, selling nearly 500,000 copies. He also toured with Mingus Dynasty in 1979 and collaborated with Ravi Shankar in India. In addition to his musical career, Handy taught at several universities, including San Francisco State University and the University of California, Berkeley.