Onaje Allan Gumbs (born Allan Bentley Gumbs, September 3, 1949) is a New York-based pianist, composer, and bandleader.^[1][2]

Professional career[edit]

In 1971, Leroy Kirkland introduced Onaje to the Detroit guitarist Kenny Burrell, to whom Onaje gave a demo tape. The following day, Onaje received a call to play with Burrell at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit. This work led to further performances with major jazz musicians such as bassist Larry Ridley as well as The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra. During those early 1970s, Onaje replaced Nat Adderley, Jr. in a contemporary jazz ensemble called Natural Essence. At that time in the course of two years, some of the personnel of this group included drummer Buddy Williams, bassist Alex Blake, trombonist Earl McIntyre and on percussion, T. S. Monk.

Gumbs adopted the name Onaje in the early 1970s; it means “the sensitive one”.^[3]

“His association with the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York and his work with the Litchfield Jazz Camp in New Milford, Conn., allow him to expand his vision and shape young minds.”^[3]

Solo works[edit]

On January 24, 2010, Onaje suffered a stroke. Miraculously, he stayed in the hospital for only two days. By December of that same year, an album was released in Japan entitled Just Like Yesterday. On this CD Onaje was accompanied by Omar Hakim, Victor Bailey, Marcus McLaurine, William S. Patterson and Chuggy Carter. Any visible signs of the stroke had since vanished. In February 2015, Onaje suffered another medical setback. Although he was hospitalized for two weeks, he recovered and was able to return to work doing what he does best, composing, arranging and playing piano.

Discography[edit]

As leader[edit]

Main source:^[6]

As sideman[edit]

With Nat Adderley

• Don’t Look Back (SteepleChase, 1976)
• Hummin’ (Little David, 1976)

With T. K. Blue

• Follow the North Star (JaJa, 2008)

With Betty Carter

• The Betty Carter Album (Bet-Car Productions, 1976)

With Norman Connors

• Dark of Light
• Love from the Sun
• Saturday Night Special
• You Are My Starship
• Invitation
• Mr. C
• Eternity

With Carlos Garnett

• Black Love (Muse, 1974)

With Toninho Horta

• Moonstone (Verve Forecast, 1989)
• Foot On The Road (Verve, 1994)

With Ronald Shannon Jackson

• Decode Yourself (Island, 1985)

With Bennie Maupin

• Slow Traffic to The Right
• Moonscapes

With Cecil McBee

• Mutima (Strata-East, 1974)

With Mark Mosley

• TLC (Mark Mosley, 2012)

With Avery Sharpe

• Running Man (JKNM, 2011)
• Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman (JKNM, 2013)

With Woody Shaw

• The Moontrane (Muse, 1974)
• Rosewood (Columbia, 1977)
• Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard (Columbia, 1978)
• Woody III (Columbia, 1979)

With John Stubblefield

• Prelude (Storyville, 1978)

With Charles Sullivan

• Genesis (Strata-East, 1974)

With Lenny White

• Venusian Summer
• Big City

References[edit]