Hattush Alexander

Hattush Alexander (tenor saxophonist) was born in St. Louis, Missouri on December 2, 1927. His parents, Collie and Magnolia, had been born in Mississippi, and by 1940, they had four sons and two daughters. As a teenager living with his family in The Ville neighborhood, the historic center of African American culture in St. Louis, he worked a couple of miles away, providing curb service at the Parkmoor (south location), a popular drive-in restaurant chain. His brother Cornelius, just a year older, had enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and Hattush did the same on November 6, 1943, stating that it was his 18th birthday when, in fact, he was still a month shy of his 16th birthday. He served until June 1946, achieving the Steward's Mate Second Class rank. During World War II, the Steward's Mate ranking in the Navy was primarily assigned to African American and Filipino sailors, as well as other minorities, due to the racially segregated structure of the armed forces at the time. Steward's Mates were responsible for duties related to food service and maintaining officers' quarters.

After his service, he returned to St. Louis and graduated from Ludwig College of Music in 1950, majoring in reed instruments and minoring in piano. Hattush often spoke about hearing Charlie Parker in St. Louis during this period, an experience that greatly influenced his bebop approach to the tenor. In the early 1950s, he moved to Indianapolis, where he performed on the scene with players such as Wes Montgomery and Slide Hampton. He later returned to St. Louis, where, after a pause in his music career, he joined a 16-piece band. In the mid-1950s, he began working with Tommy Dean, a St. Louis-based pianist and organist who led R&B-style groups that frequently performed in Chicago. On October 23, 1956, Hattush recorded in Chicago with a Dean-led sextet that included the soon-to-be legendary guitarist Grant Green. Unfortunately, the tracks from this Vee-Jay session remain unissued.

He again recorded in Chicago on May 27, 1958, with the 8-piece Tommy Dean Orchestra, which included a blues entitled Recession, reflecting the economic condition of the time. That same year, the Tommy Dean band, scaled down to a quartet, traveled to Milwaukee for a two-week residency, but the group's popularity extended their stay until 1961 when the band broke up. Dean returned to St. Louis, where he primarily performed solo until his passing in 1965, but Hattush stayed and continued to perform at local clubs. He spent a year living in New York City but returned to Milwaukee. By 1963, he began to give up on his dream of performing full-time, and in 1966, he took a job as a mail clerk at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he became the union representative. Hattush continued to perform several nights a week at spots such as the Bull Ring, the Jazz Gallery, and John Hawks Pub and was one of the most respected saxophonists on the Milwaukee scene.

During the 1980s, he performed regular gigs at Eddie Jackson's, the Jazz Oasis, and The Estate, where he performed every weekend with the house band that included pianist John Foshager and bassist Bob Siegel. In the early '90s, he underwent surgery to remove a lung due to cancer. He soon resumed performing, sounding as strong as ever, with perfectly constructed solos that reflected Bird's influence. On December 4, 1991, he married LaDonna Faye Green, who was about 40 years younger and with whom he had had a daughter a few years prior. Together, they moved to Florida, and on April 4, 1992, Hattush passed away from cancer. He is remembered for his beautiful music and infectious laugh.

Listen to the Tommy Dean Orchestra perform “Recession,” recorded in Chicago on May 27, 1958. Hattush can be heard playing background riffs on tenor sax. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atz4BfNBChs