Buddy Collette

Buddy Collette (born William Marcel Collette August 6, 1921 in Los Angeles, California) is an American tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist. He was highly influential in the West coast jazz and West Coast blues mediums, also collaborating with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, drummer Chico Hamilton, and his lifelong friend, bassist Charles Mingus.At age 12 Collette took up the alto-saxophone and led his first group which included Britt Woodman on trombone and Charles Mingus on bass. At 17 he started playing professionally.