Tenor/Baritone Saxophone (1934-2013)

Born 6 March 1934 in Philadelphia, Billy Root was an American tenor and baritone saxophonist. Root started saxophone at age ten and sat in with Hot Lips Page at 16. After touring with Hal McIntyre's orchestra, he became house tenor saxophonist at Philadelphia's Blue Note club, playing with Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Art Blakey, and Kenny Dorham. In 1953, he arrived in New York with Bennie Green for an Apollo Theater show.

Throughout the 1950s, Root worked with Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, and Curtis Fuller. In 1959, he premiered John Lewis's "European Windows" with Philadelphia Orchestra members. He replaced Billy Mitchell with Al Grey Quintet, appeared at Pittsburgh and Cincinnati Jazz Festivals, then toured with Harry James Orchestra. Returning to Philadelphia, Root worked local dates whilst studying flute, clarinet, and bass clarinet. In 1968, he performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris with Philadelphia Orchestra before moving to Las Vegas, performing in showroom orchestras and accompanying Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, and Juliet Prowse. His sole leadership recording Live at Cappozzoli's was recorded in 1999. Root died 30 July 2013 aged 79 from Parkinson's disease.