Illinois Jacquet: Houston’s Honking Tenor Pioneer

Today is the birthday of Illinois Jacquet. He would be 104 today.

Illinois Jacquet played one saxophone solo that basically invented rock and roll’s attitude. His family moved to Houston, Texas when he was still an infant. Illinois Jacquet’s Houston, Texas upbringing filled his ears with blues, church, and street parades. He learned tenor saxophone alongside his brothers in a musical household. His father played bass, and the whole family gigged around Houston clubs. By nineteen, Jacquet stood ready for a moment that would define his career.

One Solo Basically Invented the Honking Tenor

In 1942, Jacquet joined Lionel Hampton’s band and stepped up for “Flying Home.” His solo built and built, honking, screaming, and refusing to resolve quietly. Dancers went wild, and the recording became an instant sensation nationwide. Historians now call it the first true rhythm-and-blues saxophone solo ever recorded. Because of that solo, an entire “honking tenor” style exploded across American bandstands. Saxophonists everywhere started imitating his raw, physical, crowd-igniting approach. Jacquet later joined Count Basie’s band, adding polish to his signature fire. He also became a fixture of Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic tours. There, he traded solos with the era’s biggest names, night after night. His Houston-forged sound connects directly to Bayou City innovator Ornette Coleman, another boundary-breaker.

Jacquet later led his own big band, a rarity for tenor players of his era. He kept that band working right up until his death in 2004. He even played for President Clinton at the White House in 1993. Read more about his explosive legacy via Illinois Jacquet. Houston raised the saxophonist who made rhythm and blues shout.