Nino Tempo, a renowned tenor saxophonist and pop musician, died at 90 on April 10 in West Hollywood. Famous for his collaboration with sister April Stevens on the Grammy-winning 'Deep Purple', Tempo's influence spanned from big-band jazz to the birth of rock and funk. He recorded the classic in just 14 minutes, initially deemed unreleasable, achieving No. 1 status within months. Throughout his career, Tempo recorded with legends like Frank Sinatra and transitioned back to jazz in the 1990s, leaving an indelible mark on multiple genres.
Mr. Tempo's career traced an early arc of pop music, from big-band jazz to the rise of rock and funk, before boomeranging back to jazz in the 1990s.
Deep Purple was recorded in 14 minutes and originally considered unreleasable by Atlantic Records executives, Mr. Tempo recalled. It was released in September 1963 and reached No. 1 two months later.
What rings out in memory is his harmonizing with his sister on Deep Purple, a jazz standard originally written for piano by Peter DeRose.
The song, given a laid-back arrangement by Mr. Tempo and played by a studio ensemble that included Glen Campbell on guitar, was recorded in just 14 minutes.
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