# Joe Maini > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joe_Maini > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joe_Maini.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Maini > Source revision: 1284668799 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American jazz alto saxophonist}} {{use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} '''Joe Maini''' (February 8, 1930 – May 7, 1964) was an American [jazz](/source/jazz) alto saxophonist. Maini was born February 8, 1930, in [Providence, Rhode Island](/source/Providence%2C_Rhode_Island). Early in his career Maini played in the [big band](/source/big_band)s of [Alvino Rey](/source/Alvino_Rey), [Johnny Bothwell](/source/Johnny_Bothwell), and [Claude Thornhill](/source/Claude_Thornhill) (1951). In the early 1950s he moved to Los Angeles, where he found work as a [session musician](/source/session_musician) and continued working in big bands, usually holding the lead alto chair. Some of the leaders he worked with were [Terry Gibbs](/source/Terry_Gibbs), [Onzy Matthews](/source/Onzy_Matthews), [Gerald Wilson](/source/Gerald_Wilson), [Bill Holman](/source/Bill_Holman_(musician)), [Louis Bellson](/source/Louis_Bellson), [Dan Terry](/source/Dan_Terry), and [Shelly Manne](/source/Shelly_Manne). He recorded in small group settings with [Clifford Brown](/source/Clifford_Brown) and [Max Roach](/source/Max_Roach) (1954), [Zoot Sims](/source/Zoot_Sims) (1956), [Jack Sheldon](/source/Jack_Sheldon), [Conte Candoli](/source/Conte_Candoli), [Red Mitchell](/source/Red_Mitchell), [Lin Halliday](/source/Lin_Halliday), [Kenny Drew](/source/Kenny_Drew), and [Jimmy Knepper](/source/Jimmy_Knepper). He also worked with his close friend, comedian [Lenny Bruce](/source/Lenny_Bruce). Maini died May 7, 1964, at age 34 in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), [California](/source/California). Accounts of his death usually state that Maini died playing [Russian roulette](/source/Russian_roulette),[Scott Yanow](/source/Scott_Yanow), [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p101057/biography|pure_url=yes}} Joe Maini] at [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic){{cite book| first= John| last= Tobler| year= 1992| title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years| edition= 1st| publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London| page= 134| id= CN 5585}} though his family and several witnesses contend that it was the result of a firearms accident.Tina Maini, [http://www.jazzwax.com/2010/06/the-truth-about-joe-mainis-death.html The Truth About Joe Maini's Death]. [Jazzwax.com](/source/Jazzwax.com) Forty-four years after Maini's death, Lone Hill Jazz issued a four-CD set with many of his small group recordings.[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-maini-mn0000143754/discography Joe Maini discography] at AllMusic ==Discography== {{cols}} ===As leader=== *''The Small Group Recordings'' (Lone Hill Jazz, 2008) ===As sideman=== '''With [Louis Bellson](/source/Louis_Bellson)''' *''[Big Band Jazz from the Summit](/source/Big_Band_Jazz_from_the_Summit)'' (Roulette, 1962) *''Small Band Sessions'' (Fresh Sound, 1962) *''Big Band Jazz From the Summit'' (Fresh Sound, 1962) '''With [Clifford Brown](/source/Clifford_Brown)''' *''[Best Coast Jazz](/source/Best_Coast_Jazz)'' (Emarcy, 1954) *''[Clifford Brown All Stars](/source/Clifford_Brown_All_Stars)'' (Emarcy, rec. 1954, released 1956) '''With [Kenny Drew](/source/Kenny_Drew)''' *''[Talkin' & Walkin'](/source/Talkin'_%26_Walkin')'' (Jazz:West, 1955) '''With [Terry Gibbs](/source/Terry_Gibbs)''' *''More Vibes on Velvet'' (Mercury, 1958) *''Launching a New Sound in Music'' (Mercury, 1959) *''Swing Is Here'' (Verve, 1960) *''The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band'' (Verve, 1961) reissued as ''Dream Band Vol. 4, Main Stem'' (Contemporary, 1990) *''Explosion!'' (Mercury, 1961) reissued as ''Dream Band Vol. 5, The Big Cat'' (Contemporary, 1991) *''Dream Band'' (Contemporary - rec. 1959, released 1986) *''Dream Band, Vol. 2'' (Contemporary - rec. 1959, released 1987) *''Dream Band, Vol. 3'', ''Flying Home'' (Contemporary - rec. 1959, released 1988) *''Dream Band. Vol. 6'', ''One More Time'' (Contemporary - rec. 1959, released 2002) '''With [Bill Holman](/source/Bill_Holman_(musician))''' *''Bill Holman's Great Big Band'' (Capitol, 1962) '''With [Johnny Mandel](/source/Johnny_Mandel)''' *''[I Want to Live](/source/I_Want_to_Live!)'' (United Artists, 1958) '''With [Shelly Manne](/source/Shelly_Manne)''' *''[The West Coast Sound](/source/The_West_Coast_Sound)'' (Contemporary, 1954) '''With [Red Mitchell](/source/Red_Mitchell)''' *''Red Mitchell'' (Bethlehem, 1955) '''With [Jack Montrose](/source/Jack_Montrose)''' *''[Blues and Vanilla](/source/Blues_and_Vanilla)'' (RCA Victor, 1956) '''With [Mark Murphy](/source/Mark_Murphy_(singer))''' *''[Playing the Field](/source/Playing_the_Field_(Mark_Murphy_album))'' (Capitol, 1960) '''With [Gerald Wilson](/source/Gerald_Wilson)''' *''[You Better Believe It!](/source/You_Better_Believe_It!)'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961) *''[Moment of Truth](/source/Moment_of_Truth_(Gerald_Wilson_album))'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) *''[Portraits](/source/Portraits_(Gerald_Wilson_album))'' (Pacific Jazz, 1963/64) *''The Complete Pacific Jazz Recordings of Gerald Wilson and His Orchestra'' (Mosaic, 2000) {{colend}} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Maini, Joe}} Category:1930 births Category:1964 deaths Category:American jazz saxophonists Category:American male saxophonists Category:20th-century American saxophonists Category:Deaths by firearm in California Category:20th-century American male musicians Category:American male jazz musicians --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joe Maini](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Maini) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Maini?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.