Bob Graf playing saxophone
St. Louis Jazz

Bob Graf

Tenor Saxophonist  ·  St. Louis, Missouri
April 16, 1927  –  August 27, 1981
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"Discover music! It's great when you participate and create music. It's never too early, it's never too late. There's an instrument for everyone. Learning is easy. Playing is fun."
— Bob Graf
His Story

A Voice in the
St. Louis Jazz Scene

Bob Graf was a gifted, soft-toned tenor saxophonist who spent his life immersed in the jazz world of St. Louis, Missouri. Well-known throughout the city's vibrant jazz circles, he possessed a rare quality of tone that those who heard him never forgot.

Though he never fully achieved the national fame his talent deserved, Bob left an indelible mark on everyone he played with. He appeared on recordings, performed on Hollywood film sets, and embodied jazz as a living, participatory art form.

He died on August 27, 1981, far too young at 52. This site is a tribute built by his daughter Melodi — dedicated to keeping his memory alive and finding those who remember him.

Family Heritage

Bob's father Otto abbreviated the family name from Graf von Zeppelin upon arriving in America — their uncle being Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, inventor of the rigid airship. A lineage of visionaries ran through the Graf blood.

Bob Graf — St. Louis Jazz Tenor Saxophonist
Bob Graf — St. Louis Jazz Tenor Saxophonist
Life & Music

The Timeline

1927
Born April 16, 1927 in St. Louis, Missouri. Son of Otto and Emily Graf — German immigrants carrying a storied family name to America.
1948
Trumpeter Clark Terry — a fellow St. Louisan and lifelong friend — recommends the 21-year-old Graf to Count Basie. Graf joins Basie's small group in Chicago, one of only two St. Louis musicians in the band.
1950s
Bob establishes himself in the St. Louis jazz scene, developing his signature soft-toned tenor sound. He marries Helen Martin and has two sons — Bob Jr. and Kirby, both musicians. Tragically, Kirby passed away at 21. Bob Jr. still writes and plays in St. Louis today.
1950 – 1951
Graf records eight sides for Capitol Records with Woody Herman's Third Herd in June 1950 — his first documented recordings. Four more sides follow for MGM Records in January 1951. He is also a member of Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars at the legendary Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, California.
1956
Graf appears in Chet Baker's short-lived big band in October alongside Bobby Timmons and Phil Urso, recording for Pacific Jazz Records.
Jan 11, 1958
Graf records At Westminster — a live concert at Westminster College in St. Louis, produced by Robert Koester for his Delmar label. It becomes the first modern jazz record Koester produces for what would become Delmark Records. Reissued on CD in 1992 as part of the Underground Heroes series.
1958
Bob plays saxophone on the Hollywood set of The Big Beat (Universal Pictures), starring Gogi Grant and William Reynolds. As a member of AFM Local 2-197, his union card opened the Hollywood lot. He is visible on screen — middle row, first seat on the right.
Nov 21, 1959
Graf records You Go to My Head live at St. Stephens House in St. Louis with vocalist Bev Kelly and the Bob Graf Quartet. The session sits unreleased for over two decades before appearing on VGM Records in 1981.
Dec 1959
Graf forms a group with guitarist Grant Green and pianist Sam Lazar for a week-long stand at the Holy Barbarian — a beatnik coffee house at 572 De Baliviere in St. Louis. Green was in his formative years before his landmark Blue Note recordings. NPR documented this period in a 2013 profile of Grant Green.
1960s
Gerry Mulligan calls on Graf to perform with his big band. Graf works in a music store through the 1960s and 1970s — repairing instruments and giving impromptu lessons — while never stopping playing.
Later Years
Bob finds love again with Martha (née Hanson). Together they have two daughters, Vicki and Melodi. Beyond music, Bob expressed himself through painting and visual art.
1981
August 27, 1981. Bob Graf passed away at 52 — far too quietly for a man who deserved the world's attention. That same year, You Go to My Head with Bev Kelly was finally released on VGM Records. The music lives on.
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Featured Article
Bob Graf: A St. Louis Tenor Voice
the World Almost Missed
Read the Full Story on All About Jazz →
Discography

The Recordings

Bob Graf at Westminster
Bob Graf at Westminster
Delmark Records  ·  Recorded Jan 11, 1958  ·  CD Reissue 1992

A landmark live recording at Westminster College, St. Louis — the first modern jazz record produced by Robert Koester for what became Delmark Records. Reissued in 1992 as part of the Underground Heroes series.

Buy on eBay
Chet Baker Big Band
Chet Baker Big Band
Pacific Jazz Records  ·  October 1956

Graf appeared alongside Bobby Timmons and Phil Urso in Chet Baker's short-lived big band, taking solos on several tunes during this Pacific Jazz session.

Listen on YouTube
Woody Herman Orchestra
Woody Herman — Third Herd
Capitol Records  ·  June 1950  ·  MGM Records  ·  January 1951

Graf's first documented recordings — eight sides for Capitol in June 1950, four more for MGM in January 1951, with one of the most forward-thinking big bands of the era.

Listen on YouTube
The Bob Graf Sessions
The Bob Graf Sessions
Delmar Records  ·  Recorded January & February 1958

Two St. Louis sessions from early 1958 — the Westminster College concert and a February date at a Modern Music gathering — the first modern jazz record produced by Robert Koester for what became Delmark Records.

View on Discogs
Full Discography

Verified Recordings

At Westminster
Delmar / Delmark Records  ·  Recorded January 11, 1958  ·  CD Reissue 1992 (DD-401)
A live concert at Westminster College in St. Louis, produced by Robert Koester — the first modern jazz record for what became Delmark Records. Liner notes by Len Bukowski note Graf's playing displays Lester Young's lyricism while the strength of his tone shows his grasp of the hard bop style. "Street of Dreams" is singled out as his finest recorded solo.
Personnel
  • Bob GrafTenor Saxophone — leader
  • Ron RuffTenor Saxophone & Flute
  • Jimmy WilliamsPiano
  • Bob MaiselBass  ·  previously with Serge Chaloff & Dick Twardzik; St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
  • Al St. JamesDrums  ·  previously played with Charlie Parker in Chicago
The concert was originally planned around experimental compositions. When trumpeter Bill Buxton was unable to appear, the group shifted to familiar standards, with Graf featured throughout.
The Bob Graf Sessions
Delmar Records  ·  Recorded January & February 1958
Two St. Louis sessions compiled into one release. Tracks 1–2 are from the Westminster College concert; tracks 3–4 come from a February 1958 recording at a Modern Music gathering with a slightly different lineup. The most complete document of Graf's work as a leader.
Personnel — Tracks 1 & 2 (Westminster College, January 1958)
  • Bob GrafTenor Saxophone — leader
  • Ron RuffTenor Saxophone & Flute
  • Jimmy WilliamsPiano
  • Bob MaiselBass
  • Al St. JamesDrums
Personnel — Tracks 3 & 4 (Modern Music, St. Louis, February 1958)
  • Bob GrafTenor Saxophone — leader
  • Jimmy WilliamsPiano
  • Johnny MixonBass
  • Al St. JamesDrums
Discogs — The Bob Graf Sessions →
You Go to My Head
VGM Records  ·  VGM 0007  ·  Recorded November 21, 1959  ·  Released 1981
Recorded live at St. Stephens House in St. Louis with vocalist Bev Kelly and the Bob Graf Quartet. Sat unreleased for over two decades before appearing on VGM Records in 1981 — the same year Graf died. If you own a copy, please reach out.
Personnel
  • Bev KellyVocals
  • Bob GrafTenor Saxophone
  • Bob Graf QuartetAdditional personnel — details sought. Please contact us if you were there.
Discogs — Bev Kelly & Bob Graf Quartet →
Chet Baker Big Band
Pacific Jazz Records  ·  Recorded October 1956
Graf appeared in Chet Baker's short-lived big band, taking solos on several tunes. Baker was among the most celebrated names in jazz at the time, placing Graf within the orbit of the West Coast movement.
Notable Personnel
  • Chet BakerTrumpet — leader
  • Bob GrafTenor Saxophone
  • Bobby TimmonsPiano
  • Phil UrsoTenor Saxophone
Woody Herman's Third Herd
Capitol Records  ·  June 1950   /   MGM Records  ·  January 1951
Graf's first documented studio recordings — eight sides for Capitol in June 1950 and four for MGM in January 1951. His presence in one of the most forward-thinking big bands of the era speaks unmistakably to his abilities.
Context
  • Bob GrafTenor Saxophone — sideman
  • Woody HermanClarinet, Alto Saxophone — leader
These sessions represent Graf's earliest known recordings and his first work with a nationally recognized bandleader.
Film  ·  1958

The Big Beat

Film still from The Big Beat (1958) featuring Bob Graf
Film still — The Big Beat  ·  Universal Pictures, 1958
Bob Graf — middle row, first right

In 1958, Bob Graf's union card opened a door no amount of talent alone could unlock. As a member of Local 2-197 of the American Federation of Musicians, Graf was among the working musicians required by studio contracts to perform live on Hollywood lots.

Universal Pictures came calling for The Big Beat — a musical film starring Gogi Grant and William Reynolds. Graf traveled to Hollywood and appeared on screen as a performing musician. One of the few moments his talent reached anything close to a national stage.

Find him exactly where he always was — in the music, present, unhurried. Middle row. First seat on the right.

Film Credits
TitleThe Big Beat
Year1958
StudioUniversal Pictures
StarringGogi Grant, William Reynolds
Bob GrafPerforming musician — middle row, first seat on the right
UnionAFM Local 2-197, American Federation of Musicians
Documentation

Sources & References

A Father's Love
Bob Graf with his daughters
Bob Graf with his daughters  ·  St. Louis

Beyond the music, beyond the recordings and the clubs and the famous names — this is what mattered most. A father looking at his daughter like she's the whole world.

Get in Touch

Did You Know
Bob Graf?

We're gathering memories, photographs, recordings, and stories. If you crossed paths with Bob — at a gig, in the studio, anywhere in St. Louis — we want to hear from you.

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