Musician, teacher and Duke Ellington Society member Ira Schulman passed away in Los Angeles on July 20, 2008. Ira was born in Chicago on December 1, 1926.
He received a clarinet for his Bar Mitzvah in 1939 and began his long career as a musician playing mostly jazz but also classical and any music which interested him. Ira's curiosity led him to learn to play the rest of the single reed family and, later, the flute. He initially played the many small jazz clubs in Chicago. Later, he also played in the Army's Ground Forces Band at Ft. Mead, Maryland.
After his discharge, he returned to Chicago and gigs at the Blue Note, Hi Note, and Capitol Show Lounge playing mostly tenor. He also sat in with the big bands of Woody Herman and Boyd Rayburn. Chicago jazz critic John Steiner wrote [in the Nat Hentoff book “Jazz: New Perspectives on the History of Jazz"] that Ira Schulman was one of the memorable modern jazz tenor players to come out of Chicago. Ira's first recording was made in 1947 with Bill Russo's Orchestra. He married and began a family.
The family moved to Los Angeles in 1958 where Ira was soon playing the studios and working with Bob Crosby, Onzy Matthews, Gerald Wilson and Tommy Vig. When trumpeter Don Ellis formed a new band, Ira Schulman was soon asked to join the band on tenor. He can be heard to great advantage on Ellis' “Live In 3 2/3 Time" album where he surprised the band by soloing on clarinet as well as tenor.
In the 1960s, Ira began bringing small music groups into local schools presenting both jazz and classical music and music history as well. In 1998, Ira was presented with the PASA (Professional Artists in Schools Award) for his dedication and work.
In the Ellis band was pianist Dave MacKay who asked Ira to join his small jazz group.
Later, Ira formed his own groups The Baroque/Jazz Ensemble. the Four Winds and The Storytellers.
Throughout his life, Ira's goals were to bring music to people and to teach others to play. He was a teacher whose example inspired his students.
He received a clarinet for his Bar Mitzvah in 1939 and began his long career as a musician playing mostly jazz but also classical and any music which interested him. Ira's curiosity led him to learn to play the rest of the single reed family and, later, the flute. He initially played the many small jazz clubs in Chicago. Later, he also played in the Army's Ground Forces Band at Ft. Mead, Maryland.
After his discharge, he returned to Chicago and gigs at the Blue Note, Hi Note, and Capitol Show Lounge playing mostly tenor. He also sat in with the big bands of Woody Herman and Boyd Rayburn. Chicago jazz critic John Steiner wrote [in the Nat Hentoff book “Jazz: New Perspectives on the History of Jazz"] that Ira Schulman was one of the memorable modern jazz tenor players to come out of Chicago. Ira's first recording was made in 1947 with Bill Russo's Orchestra. He married and began a family.
The family moved to Los Angeles in 1958 where Ira was soon playing the studios and working with Bob Crosby, Onzy Matthews, Gerald Wilson and Tommy Vig. When trumpeter Don Ellis formed a new band, Ira Schulman was soon asked to join the band on tenor. He can be heard to great advantage on Ellis' “Live In 3 2/3 Time" album where he surprised the band by soloing on clarinet as well as tenor.
In the 1960s, Ira began bringing small music groups into local schools presenting both jazz and classical music and music history as well. In 1998, Ira was presented with the PASA (Professional Artists in Schools Award) for his dedication and work.
In the Ellis band was pianist Dave MacKay who asked Ira to join his small jazz group.
Later, Ira formed his own groups The Baroque/Jazz Ensemble. the Four Winds and The Storytellers.
Throughout his life, Ira's goals were to bring music to people and to teach others to play. He was a teacher whose example inspired his students.
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