Besides being one of the first jazz musicians to convert to Islam and change his name (1947), this under rated saxophonist was also one of the earliest boppers to use the flute. He first worked professionally with the Luther Henderson band at the age of 13 while still studying with Elmer Snowden. At 16, he attended the Boston Conservatory (1941-42) and later worked as the lead alto in the 1944-45 Fletcher Henderson band, billed as Eddie Gregory. After his religious conversion, he fell in with the early bop movement, recording several now-famous sides with Thelonious Monk for Blue Note in 1947 and 1951, and playing with Art Blakey and the Tadd Dameron band in 1949. He played with Dizzy Gillespie in 1951-52, Illinois Jacquet in 1952-55, and the Oscar Pettiford big band in 1957. After arriving in Europe with Quincy Jones' big band in 1959-60, he remained there until 1986 (mostly in Copenhagen), except for a long Los Angeles interlude (1973-76). He recorded only a handful of albums as a leader over the decades for Savoy, Argo, Atlantic and Chess.

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Thanks to everyone who participated in the August 2002 Saxquest trivia contest.