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Bert Williams
Bert Williams
Born Egbert Austin Williams on the island of Antigua and moved to Los Angeles
in (1888).
Became one of the Vaudeville’s top artist as part of the successful double-act
“Williams and Walker” with his partner George Walker.
Together they popularized the Cakewalk.
Became the first black American to take a lead role on the Broadway stage
Most of his songs such as “Nobody” were popular among all races
Become the first African American to gain complete creative control as a
filmmaker.
Al Jolson
Born Asa Yoelson in Lithuania 1886 and later migrated to the
United States.
Called The World’s Greatest Entertainer .
Achieved success when he won a part in the 1911 Broadway
production La Belle Paree.
The leading light of the Broadway musical stage from 1911 to
1941.
Starred in the first “talking picture” The Jazz Singer in 1927.
Hank Jones
Born to a family rich with musical talent, Jones was actively
encouraged to play music by his parents in which he played classic
quartet.
Jones was one of the first pianists to take on the language of bebop.
During the 1950’s, Jones kept busy as a freelancing accompanist,
recording with Ella Fitzgerald and playing on the jazz at the
Philharmonic tour with Parker and Roy Eldridge.
Louis Armstrong
Nicknamed Satchmo, for satchel-mouth
American jazz musician.
Armstrong was charismatic, innovative performer whose musical skills
and bright personality transformed jazz from a rough regional dance into
a popular art form.
First achieved fame as a trumpeter but towards the end of his career he
was best known as a vocalist.
Mills Brothers
The Mills Brothers were a major African American jazz and pop
vocal quartet of the 20th century.
They produced more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50
million copies and garnered at least 3 dozen gold records
The group was originally composed of four brothers:
John Jr., bassist and guitarist
Herbert, tenor
Harry, baritone
Donald, lead tenor
W.C. Handy
Very talented musician and composer whose family
opposed his playing of musical instruments.
Joined a minstrel group called ”Mahara’s
Minstrels,”, due to lack of employment
opportunities.
Most famous compositions were “Memphis Blues”
and “St. Louis” Blues.
Known as the “Father of the Blues”. Handy did not
invent the ‘blues’, but transcribed them and
presented to a worldwide audience.
Irving Berlin
Russian-American Jewish composer and lyricist.
Famous for “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911)and
“White Christmas”.
Composed over 3,000 songs, many of which were
patriotic songs (e.g., “God Bless America” Heaven
Watch the Phillipines), 17 film scores and and 21
Broadway scores).
Did not study music formally. Played music only in
one key. (F#/D Minor). One of the great composers of
Tin Pan Alley.
Spencer Williams
Spencer Williams was a USA jazz and popular music composer,
pianist and singer.
Williams was performing in Chicago by 1907 and moved to New
York City by 1916.
He co-wrote several songs with Anton Lada one of which was
Arkansas Blues, one of his most popular songs
He was inducted into The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame
Ethel Waters
Oscar nominated American blues vocalist and actress
She was the second African-American to ever be nominated for an
Academy Award.
Frequently performed jazz, big band, gospel and popular music, on
the Broadway stage.
Her best known recording was her version of the spiritual song “His
eye is on the Sparrow”
Bunk Johnson
A prominent early New Orleans jazz trumpet player.
Regarded as one of the top trumpeters in New Orleans during
1905-1915.
Center of controversy surrounding revivalists vs. modernists in
Jazz History.
George Lewis
A jazz clarinetist who achieved his greatest fame and influence in his
later decades of life.
Played clarinet professionally by 1917.
Starting in 1949 he was a regular on the French Quarter’s Bourbon
Street entertainment clubs, and had regular broadcasts over radio station
WDSU.
In 1952 he took his band to San Francisco for a residency at the
Hangover Club, then began to tour around the United States
Jelly Roll Morton
A gifted pianist, bandleader and composer who some call the
first true composer of jazz music.
In 1926, Morton succeeded in getting a contract to make
recordings for the US’s largest and most prestigious company,
Victor.
These recordings by Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers
are regarded as classics of 1920s jazz.
Legend is that Ferndinand Joseph LaMothe (a.k.a. Jelly Roll
Morton claims) to have invented Jazz Music.
King Oliver
Oliver played cornet in the New Orleans brass bands and dance
bands. Mentor to Louis Armstrong.
Achieved great popularity in New Orleans across economic and
racial lines.
In 1922 Oliver was the jazz “King” in Chicago.
Also noted as a composer, having written Armstrong’s early hit
“Dippermouth Blues”
Duke Ellington
The most popular composer in the history of jazz
Ellington used his band as a musical laboratory for his
new composition and shaped his writing specifically to
showcase the talents of his band members.
Ellington also wrote film scores and stage musicals, and
several of his instrumental works were adapted into
songs that became standards.
He began piano lessons at age seven and was writing
music by his teens.
He dropped out of high school in his junior year in 1917
to pursue a career in music.
Ellington became a Grammy favorite in his later years.
Coleman Hawkins
Nicknamed “Hawk”, was a prominent jazz tenor
saxophonist.
Regarded as “the father of the tenor saxophone”
He joined Mamie Smith’s Jazz Hounds in 1921.
He was the leader of the first ever bebop
recording session with Dizzy Gillespie and Max
Roach.
Pee Wee Russell
Born as Charles Ellsworth Russell was a jazz musician that
played the clarinet and saxophone.
The notes he played were somewhat unorthodox when
compared to his contemporaries, he was often accused of
playing out of tune.
He played with Bobby Hackett’s big band and began
playing with Eddie Condon, who he would continue
working regularly for most of his life
Chick Webb
Born William Henry Webb, he was a jazz and swing music
drummer as well as a band leader.
In 1931 his band became the house band at the Savoy
Ballroom.
He became one of the best-regarded bandleaders and
drummers of the new “Swing” Style.
Fats Waller
Born Thomas Wright Waller, he was an American jazz
pianist, organist, composer and comedic entertainer.
Also known as prolific songwriter and wrote popular
songs such as “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Squeeze Me”
Benny Goodman
Born as Benjamin David Goodman, he was an American jazz
musician, known as “King of Swing”, “Patriarch of the
Clarinet”, “The Professor”, and “Swing’s Senior Statesman”.
When he was 16, he joined the one of Chicago’s top bands the
Ben Pollack Orchestra, with which he made his first
recordings.
He came to New York City in the late 1920s and made a
reputation as a solid player who was prepared and reliable.
Jimmie Lunceford
Born as James Melvin Lunceford, he was an American jazz
alto saxophonist and bandleader of the swing era.
Lunceford’s orchestra reputation grew with their tight
musicianship and often outrageous humor in their music and
lyrics.
He was the band’s comic veneer and during the apex of swing
in the 1930s, the orchestra was considered the equal of Duke
Ellington’s and Count Basie’s.
Count Basie
Born as William James Basie, he was an American jazz pianist,
organist, bandleader, and composer.
Commonly regarded as one of the most important jazz leaders
of his time, he lead his popular groups for almost fifty years.
Basie was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in
2002.
Being one of the greatest jazz musicians in musical history, he
will be inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in
2007.
Lester Young
Born as Lester Willis Young, he was an American jazz tenor
saxophonist and clarinetist.
He was known as Prez (short for “The President of the Tenor
Saxophone”), given to him by Billie Holiday.
His solo on “Lester Leaps In” at Carnegie Hall stands as one
of the greatest solos by any jazz musician ever.
Jimmy Rushing
Rushing was a first class Singer.
He was known as “Mister Five-by-Five”,
reference to his height and girth.
He had a booming voice that radiated sheer joy in
whatever material he sang, he could swing with
anyone and dominate even the loudest of big
bands.
Ella Fitzgerald
Celebrated as one of the greatest if not
greatest Jazz singer of all time. Named,
“the First Lady of Song.
A-Tisket A-Tasket is her signature song.
Known for her scat singing, and
sometimes called “Queen of Scat.”
Billie Holiday
The first popular jazz singer to move audiences with the intense,
personal feelings of classic blues.
Born Elanora Fagan Gough, her father Clarence Holiday was a
teenaged jazz guitarist and banjo player.
By early 1935, she made her debut at the Apollo Theater and
appeared in a one-reeler film with Duke Ellington
Holiday recorded a series of obscure, forgettable songs straight from
the gutters of Tin Pan Alley.
Though her artistry was at its peak, Holiday was heavily into
alcohol and marijuana and she began smoking opium early in the
decade with her first husband Johnnie Monroe.
Holiday made her last great appearance in 1957, on the CBS
television special The sound of Jazz
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