Bobbi Humphrey

Infobox musical artist
Name = Bobbi Humphrey

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Img_capt =
Img_size = 100px
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Barbara Ann Humphrey
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1950|4|25
Origin = flagicon|USA Marlin, Texas, U.S.
Died =
Instrument = Flute
Voice_type =
Genre = Jazz, Fusion
Occupation = Flautist, singer
Years_active = 1971 – Present
Label = Blue Note, Epic, Malaco
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.bobbihumphrey.net/home.html www.BobbiHumphrey.net]

Barbara Ann ("Bobbi") Humphrey (born April 25, 1950) is an American jazz flautist and singer who plays fusion, jazz-funk and soul-jazz styles. Bobbi Humphrey has performed for audiences around the world.

Biography

She was born in Marlin, Texas, and raised in Dallas. Her flute training included classical and jazz styles in high school. She continued her studies at Texas Southern University and Southern Methodist University. Dizzy Gillespie saw Humphrey play at a talent contest at Southern Methodist, and inspired her to pursue a musical career in New York City. She followed his advice, getting her first big break performing at the Apollo Theatre on Amateur Night. She eventually began playing regularly throughout the city, including a gig with Duke Ellington.

By 1972, she was recording for the Blue Note Jazz label, the first female instrumentalist to do so. [Winegarten, Ruthe. "Black Texas Women: 150 Years of Trial and Triumph", University of Texas Press (1995) - ISBN 0292790899] Humphrey has played with well-known musicians, ranging from Duke Ellington to Lee Morgan. Guitarist George Benson and Humphrey were guest musicians on Humphrey's friend Stevie Wonder's single "Another Star" from his "Songs in the Key of Life" (1976) album. [Perone, James E. "The Sound of Stevie Wonder: His Words And Music", Greenwood Press (2006) - ISBN 027598723X] In 1976, she was named Best Female Instrumentalist by Billboard. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=6773 Billboard: Bobbi Humphrey] ] In 1994 Humphrey launched her label, Paradise Sounds Records, releasing "Passion Flute", which continues to be one of her best-selling recordings.

Bobbi Humphrey has played at the Apollo Theatre, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Russian River Jazz Festival (Northern California), and other venues around the world.

Bobbi has also been sampled by several hip-hop artists. Her "Blacks and Blues" was sampled by KMD in the song Plumskinz, Fat Joe in the song Another Wild Nigger from the Bronx, and Eric B. and Rakim's Keep the Beat. Ghostface Killah sampled her song "“Just a Love Child”" in his song "Underwater" produced by MF Doom.

elective discography

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.bobbihumphrey.net/home.html Bobbi Humphrey official website]
* [http://www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org/harlemspeaks12.html Jazz Museum in Harlem Celebrates Flautist Bobbi Humphrey]