Wade Legge

Wade Legge (February 4, 1934, Huntington, West Virginia – August 15, 1963, Buffalo, New York) was an American jazz pianist and bassist.

Legge played more bass than piano in his early years, and it was with the bass that he was first noticed by Milt Jackson, who recommended him to Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie hired him and shortly thereafter moved him to piano; he remained a member of Gillespie's ensemble until 1954, and during that time recorded a date in France as a trio session leader.

Following his tenure with Gillespie, Legge moved to New York City and freelanced there. He played in Johnny Richards's orchestra, and did sessions with Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Joe Roland, Bill Hardman, Pepper Adams, Jimmy Knepper, and Jimmy Cleveland. Legge was one of three pianists recording as a member of the variously staffed Gryce/Byrd Jazz Lab Quintets in 1957 and appeared on more than 50 recordings before retiring to Buffalo in 1959. He died in 1963 at the age of 29.

Discography

With Charles Mingus

• The Clown (Atlantic, 1957)
• Tonight at Noon (Atlantic, 1957-1961)

With Sonny Rollins

• Rollins Plays for Bird (Prestige, 1956)

References

• Wade Legge at Allmusic
• Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford, 1999, p. 407.