Born in Denison, Texas on October 31, 1930, Booker Ervin began his musical career as a trombonist, an instrument his father played. It wasn’t until Booker was stationed in Okinawa with the United States Air Force that he took up the tenor saxophone. After his discharge from the service, Ervin enrolled at the Berklee College of Music where he studied for two years.

After spending time in Denver and Pittsburgh, Ervin moved to New York City in 1958 and began playing gigs with Charles Mingus. Later, in the mid-1960s, he began to lead his own groups and became known for his “strong, tough” sound and blues and gospel phrasing. Ervin also worked with Jaki Byard, Randy Weston and Dexter Gordon during this period, and appeared at the Newport, Monterey and Berlin jazz festivals.

During his career, Booker Ervin released 19 albums as a leader. He passed away due to kidney disease in 1970 at the age of 39. Randy Weston said “Booker Ervin, for me, was on the same level as John Coltrane. He was a completely original saxophonist.“

Here is a link to Ervin playing as part of a group in Belgium:

"MILESTONES"