View source for Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| instruments     = {{plainlist|
* Clarinet
* Flute
* Piccolo
* Saxophone
* Piano
}}
| name            = Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr
| birth_name      = Russell Linwood Thomas
| image           = Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr.jpg
| image_size      =
| caption         =
| birth_date      = {{Birth date|df=yes|1935|03|22}}
| birth_place     = [[Harlem]], [[New York (state)|New York]] U.S.
| death_date      = {{death date and age|df=yes|2017|2|15|1935|03|22}}
| death_place     = [[Montreal]], Quebec, Canada
| alias           =
| genre           = {{plainlist|
* [[Atonality|Atonal]]
* [[Blues]]
* [[Classical music]]
* [[Jazz]]
}}
| past_member_of = {{plainlist|
* Canadian Jazz Quartet
* [[Dizzy Gillespie]] Orchestra
* [[Duke Ellington Orchestra]]
* Ottawa Saxophone Quartet
* Trio 3
}}
| label           = {{plainlist|
* [[Radio Canada International]] (RCI)
}}
}}
'''Al-Hajj Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr''' (born '''Russell Linwood Thomas''' [Muslim name adopted in 1971]; 22 March 1935 – 15 February 2017), was an American Canadian saxophonist (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), clarinetist, flautist (flute and piccolo) and composer. He toured internationally with [[Dizzy Gillespie]] from 1983 to 1987, appearing alongside Gillespie in the feature films ''[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095735/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt A Night in Havana]'' and ''A Night in Chicago''.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=A Night in Havana: Dizzy Gillespie in Cuba|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095735/fullcredits#cast|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=18 December 2012|format=Credited as Sayyid Abdul Al-Kabir|year=1989}}</ref>
He is the only person to perform all saxophone parts consecutively in the [[Duke Ellington Orchestra]].<ref name="C.E." />
On 26 June 2011, a tribute concert<ref name="Tribute" /> was held during the [[Montreal International Jazz Festival]] to honor and recognize Abdul Al-Khabyyr's contributions to the Montreal jazz scene, as he was long considered the patriarch of Montreal's "second great family of Jazz".<ref name="Presse" />
==Music career==
Born in Harlem, New York as Russell Linwood Thomas, Abdul Al-Khabyyr lived most of his life in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]]. He became a naturalized [[Canadians|Canadian]] in 1965 and converted to Islam in 1971.<ref name=Presse>{{cite news|last=Brunet|first=Alain|title=Les trésors cachés de la famille Abdul Al Khabyyr|newspaper=La Presse|date=25 June 1994|page=D10|language=fr}}</ref>
In his teens he studied clarinet and saxophone in New York City with [[Cecil Scott]] and others. In 1954 he traveled to Montreal with trombonist [[Snub Mosley]] to play in various nightclubs. While there he met his future wife and decided to stay, working with Al Cowans (1954{{ndash}}1955) and then leading his own band (1955{{ndash}}1957). In [[Ottawa]] from 1957 to 1970, he was a member at various times of the Canadian Jazz Quartet (with Richard Wyands on piano, Wyatt Ruther on bass, and Doug Johnston on drums), the Ottawa Saxophone Quartet and also studio/dance bands led by Champ Champagne, Buster Monroe and others.<ref name=C.E.>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Al-Hajj Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/alhajj-sayyd-abdul-alkhabyyr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329053606/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/alhajj-sayyd-abdul-alkhabyyr|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 March 2012|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|publisher=Dominion Institute|access-date=18 December 2012}}</ref> He led his own orchestra at the Gatineau Country Club from 1959 to 1965, except for a short break in 1963 as he recovered from a bout with [[Polio]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Cote|first=Starr|title=Polio Stricken Musician Maintains High Hopes|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=16 March 1962}}</ref> He also appeared regularly on CBC programming as a guest or backing musician.
[[File:TRIO 3.jpg|alt=Trio 3 consisting of Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr, Pauline Vaillancourt and Michael Laucke|thumb|Trio 3 consisting of Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr, Pauline Vaillancourt and [[Michael Laucke]]|left]]
From 1970 to 1980 he returned to Montreal as a teacher in the Jazz Music department of the [[Université de Montréal]]. His pupils included the flautist Jennifer Waring, trumpeter Chris Place, and saxophonists Mary-Jo Rudolf, Richard Beaudet and [[Rémi Bolduc]]. He also performed in various contemporary music settings such as the SMCQ ensemble (''Société de musique contemporaine du Québec''), Walter Boudreau's Infonie, Dionne-Brégent, TRIO 3 (composed of Sayyd, Pauline Vaillancourt and [[Michael Laucke]]),<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title = Trois des plus formidables virtuoses de Montreal : Entrevue avec Le Trio 3|last = Plant|first = John|date = April 1980|work = Virus Montreal|trans-title = Three of the most formidable virtuosos in Montreal: Interview with Trio 3}}</ref> worked in studio and theatre orchestras, and played jazz at his own establishment, Café Mo-Jo.<ref name="C.E."/>
He divided his time between Montreal and New York City during the 1980s, then settled in New York by the end of the decade. He was a member, from 1980 to 1982 and again from 1987 to 1993, of the [[Duke Ellington Orchestra]].<ref name="C.E." /> From 1983 to 1987, he was a member (along with his son Nasyr on drums) of the [[Dizzy Gillespie]] Quartet, touring internationally, and appearing alongside Gillespie in the feature films ''A Night in Havana'' and ''A Night in Chicago''.<ref name="auto" />
[[File:Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr with sax.jpg|thumb|Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr with one of his baritone saxophones.]]
He is the only person to perform all saxophone parts consecutively in the Duke Ellington Orchestra; Baritone sax, 2nd tenor, 1st tenor, 2nd alto, 1st alto and lead alto.<ref>{{YouTube|edcuo1HyxAw}}</ref>
He also recorded and performed with, among many others; [[Tony Bennett]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nfA1CdggUg0/hqdefault.jpg|title=Sayyd Al-Khabyyr and Tony Bennett, 1991.}}</ref> [[Tito Puente]], [[Mario Rivera (musician)|Mario Rivera]], the [[Savoy Sultans]], [[Illinois Jacquet]], the Afro-Asian Jazz Ensemble, [[Arturo Sandoval]], [[Gonzalo Rubalcaba]], [[Walter Davis Jr.]], [[Giovanni Hidalgo]], [[Charlie Palmieri]], [[Milt Jackson]], [[Candido Camero|Candido Gamero]], [[Charlie Persip]] and Superband,<ref name="C.E."/> [[Pharoah Sanders]] and [[Yusef Lateef]].
In 1991 he was featured, along with Russian painter Evgeny Essaulenko, in a short film titled [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edcuo1HyxAw One Drinks the Other Doesn't].
He made several appearances accompanied by his sons and other musicians (including [[Oliver Jones (pianist)|Oliver Jones]]) at the [[Festival International de Jazz de Montréal]].<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Montreal Jazz Festival shows with Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr|url = http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/program/concerts-search.aspx?recherche=Sayyd |publisher=Festival International de Jazz de Montréal|access-date=18 December 2012}}</ref> On 26 June 2011, a tribute concert was held during the festival to honor and recognize Abdul Al-Khabyyr's contributions to the Montreal jazz scene.<ref name="Tribute">{{cite web|title=Time Capsule with special guest Kenny Garrett: A Tribute to Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr|url=http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/program/concert.aspx?id=10240|publisher=Festival International de Jazz de Montréal|access-date=18 December 2012}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Married in 1955 (jazz great [[Charlie Biddle]] served as best man), Abdul Al-Khabyyr and his wife had five children. Although all play musical instruments masterfully, two of his children, drummer Nasyr and trombonist Muhammad, followed in his footsteps and both became professional musicians and music teachers. Also notable, Abdul Al-Khabyyr is the father-in-law of [[Grammy Award]]-winning jazz musician [[Kenny Garrett]].
In 1971, after reading the biography of Malcolm X, Abdul Al-Khabyyr and his family converted to Islam and he went on to become an [[Imam]].<ref name="Presse" /> Through their common faith Abdul Al-Khabyyr developed a friendship with boxing great [[Muhammad Ali]], who would stay in his town of [[Mount Royal, Quebec|Mount Royal]] home when visiting the area.
In the late 1990s he moved back to Montreal and, after suffering strokes in 2001 and 2004, no longer performed.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{sister project links|collapsible=true|b=no|v=no|s=no|wikt=no|q=no|n=no|d=Q7429342}}
[[File:Sayyd_Abdul_Al-Khabyyr_with_sax.jpg|thumb|Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr with one of his saxophones]]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Khabyyr, Sayyd Abdul}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:American emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:American expatriate musicians in Canada]]
[[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]]
[[Category:Black Canadian musicians]]
[[Category:Canadian Muslims]]
[[Category:Canadian people of African-American descent]]
[[Category:Converts to Islam]]
[[Category:Musicians from Montreal]]
[[Category:Musicians from Manhattan]]
[[Category:People from Harlem]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Université de Montréal]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]