Roger Glenn

Born to Tyree Glenn, the trombonist and vibraphonist whose extensive work included long stints alongside Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Louis Armstrong, Roger Glenn also handled vibraphones yet earned his chief recognition as a flutist. His foothold in the business arrived through early-1970s sessions with Mongo Santamaría on Mongo ‘70, Mongo at Montreux, and Mongo’s Way, recordings that first drew upon his Latin jazz experience. He soon joined the broader circle around Donald Byrd, appearing on both Black Byrd and Street Lady while forging ties with the albums’ architects, Fonce and Larry Mizell; those connections led to further work on Bobbi Humphrey’s Fancy Dancer and Johnny Hammond’s Gears. In 1976 he fronted Reachin’, the characteristically buoyant Mizell-produced album issued by Fantasy. Although his studio activity lessened after the late 1970s, he kept performing on the West Coast following his move to San Francisco and maintained a schedule of shows across Europe. A genuine multi-instrumentalist, he performed as well on clarinet, oboe, and saxophone.