The saxophonist is Big Jay McNeely, who died on Sept. 16th 2018 at the age of 91. He was a crucial part of LA’s postwar R&B explosion and helped lay the foundation for rock and roll.
In May 1953, Ebony magazine reported, “A young white lad got so hepped up over Big Jay’s music that he jumped out of a balcony onto the main floor, where he miraculously landed without hurting himself and went into a riotous dance.”
