Jazz Live- The Dave Pell Octet

then played with the Les Brown band from 1947 to 1955

he began leading his own groups in 1953, usually in an octet format, augmented by guests like Pepper Adams, Benny Carter, Mel Lewis, Red Mitchell, Marty Paich, and Art Pepper

His primary focus of activity in the 1950s and '60s was in the record business, working as a producer for the budget Tops label in the '50s, and Liberty (where he supervised a few hit pop/rock records for Gary Lewis & the Playboys) and briefly Uni in the '60s.

He formed a group in the late '70s called Prez Conference, a variation on the theme of Supersax, as a tribute to Lester Young, recording two albums for GNP/Crescendo.

In the '80s and '90s, Pell revived his octet for recordings on the Fresh Sound (1984) and Headfirst (1988) labels, and sporadic live dates in the Los Angeles area, including an appearance at the Jazz West Coast festival in 1994.

In 1953 he began working with his own ensembles, mostly as an octet: Pell on tenor sax, another saxophone (either a baritone or an alto), trumpet and trombone, guitar, and a piano-bass-drums rhythm section). Among the octet players were Pepper Adams, Benny Carter, Mel Lewis, Red Mitchell, Marty Paich, Art Pepper and, early his career, John Williams.

Played at the Paladium, coming out with Pastor, played with all of the bands who needed people when they came to the coast.

Saxophonist, photographer, producer, label head, bandleader.

When Saunders was five, he and his mother settled in Los Angeles, living with his aunt and her husband, tenor-saxophonist Dave Pell. That's when Saunders heard the records of the Dave Pell Octet and was influenced by the style and phrasing of trumpeter Don Fagerquist.

In 1994 he became a member of the Dave Pell Octet.

I used to be in  the record business. Sold them in the supermarkets for 99 cents. I'd record "Dave Pell Plays Benny Goodman," "Dave Pell Plays whatever." I must have made 50 albums, "The Best Songs of Italy." I'd go to England for a couple weeks and record 20 albums. Put them in Kresge, Woolworth, the same albums but change the songs on each one.... It was the beginning of the compilation disc.