Profiles In Jazz

There have long been two extreme schools of thought about trumpeter Bunk Johnson. His most partisan fans thought of him not only as a genius,

He has been gone for 25 years but everyone still knows who Cab Calloway was. The “Hi-De-Ho Man,” the singer of “Minnie The Moocher,” an

A household name during the 1920s, Paul Whiteman led the most popular orchestra of the decade. He expertly mixed together occasional jazz pieces with semi-classical

Jelly Roll Morton was a towering figure in early jazz, and one with a very large number of accomplishments. As a pianist who had his

The Nat King Cole story is a tale of two major talents, both owned by the same person. Equally skilled as a jazz pianist and

During the 1921-25 period, it seemed as if every African-American female singer who could carry a tune was being rushed into a recording studio to

The finest jazz guitarist of his short lifetime, Eddie Lang was masterful as both a melodic soloist and a sophisticated accompanist, whether playing bluesy single-note

It has always seemed a bit improbable that Catherine Russell, the vibrant and exciting swing singer, is the daughter of Luis Russell, the leader of

She had a small voice that could not compare to that of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. She never scatted and her improvising tended to

Jazz history books often leave his name out, but Clarence Williams was a major force in the 1920s and ’30s and had quite a career;

Next to Louis Armstrong, Harry James was not only the most famous trumpeter of the 1940s but remains a household name decades after his death.

Accurately billed as “The Empress of the Blues” during her prime years, Bessie Smith was not only the top female jazz and blues singer to

Bunny Berigan was arguably the top jazz trumpeter of the 1930s (not counting Louis Armstrong), with his main competition being Henry “Red” Allen, Roy Eldridge,

Eddie Condon took extremely few guitar solos in his career (all very early), did not sing after the 1920s, and only wrote a couple of

He was the “Sentimental Gentleman of Swing,” a trombonist with perfect breath control, a pretty sound, and a melodic swinging style. Tommy Dorsey led one

William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith was a contradictory but lovable figure, as colorful as his long original name. With his bowler hat, a cigar

In November 1934, Benny Goodman was in a bind. His new orchestra had just won an important time slot on the Let’s Dance radio show.

Strange as it seems, there was a time when it was not unusual for trad jazz recordings to be on the pop charts in Great

Bob Crosby definitely had an unusual career. Being the younger brother of Bing Crosby, the most famous singer in the world for quite a few

One of the most important of the New Orleans jazz pioneers, cornetist Joe “King” Oliver is perhaps best remembered today for leading the best jazz

Jazz history is full of bright flames, artists who come out of nowhere, make a very strong impression, and then burn out, often having a

Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. Frequently he would play ringing octaves with his right hand (called “trumpet

The Dodds Brothers, clarinetist Johnny and drummer Baby, were very important jazz pioneers who made a major impact on jazz of the 1920s. While their

Red Nichols was one of the finest cornet players to emerge during the 1920s—yet, for various reasons, he was underrated throughout much of his career

The First Star Drummer He was the first drummer to be considered a superstar and a matinee idol. Before Gene Krupa hit it big with

How many jazz musicians from the 1920s were involved in playing modern jazz of the 1960s? I can only think of three: Duke Ellington (who,

Success at Every Turn Artie Shaw was a unique figure in jazz history. A competitor of Benny Goodman both as a clarinetist and a bandleader,

He was one of the most extraordinary individuals in jazz history, a largely illiterate gypsy who also happened to be one of the greatest jazz

Jazz history is full of innovators, interpreters, and individualists. The innovators change the way that the music is played and influence both their contemporaries and

Sidney Bechet was a unique figure in jazz history. A masterful soprano-saxophonist and clarinetist, he recorded the first significant jazz solos (other than pianists). Bechet,

Most of the major jazz musicians excelled in one or two areas. For example Jack Teagarden, the subject of last month’s Profiles In Jazz, was

The Double-Threat One of the most beloved figures in jazz history, Jack Teagarden was a double-threat as a trombonist and a singer. Before he arrived

She Could Swing When confronted with the recordings and performances of Ella Fitzgerald, several questions come to mind. Could anyone outswing her? Was anyone a