Maxwell “Max the Sax” Lucas Way (Bronx)
Present name:Morris Avenue
Location:Between Tremont Avenue and East 179th Street
Honoree: At 14, Maxwell Lucas (1910-2010) was given an alto saxophone. He studied for six months before he was offered a seat as a player with Hugh Kirksy and his Orchestra. In a career spanning 80 years he played with jazz legends including Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, and the Duke Ellington orchestra under the direction of Mercer Ellington. He toured with Marva Lewis, Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, Benny Goodman, Howard Johnson, Al Cobbs, Arthur Prysock, the Supremes, Eric Johnson, George Benson, and Joe Lewis. He also played with Danny Mixon, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles; and recorded with Etta James, The Drifters, Buddy Hackett, Sarah Vaughn, Big Maybelle, Roberta Thorpe, Ruth Brown, Little Ester, Laverne Baker, and Little Jimmy Scott. (Cabrera)
LL:2017/45