Birthday Jam: Great Swing Musicians

[Yakov]

here's how it works:

1) post a birthday and birth city of a great swing artist
2) i put it up here, in order
3) everyone becomes more informed and has a good excuse to give a quick historical lesson during a set

location without brackets is birth city
brackets mean where they were a major influence

january
01 : 1911 / slim gaillard (guitar / novelty vocs) detroit [LA]
01 : 1923 / milt jackson (vibes) detroit [nyc]
02 : 1929 / arthur prysock (r&b / vocals)
02 : 1915 / nick fatool (drums; benny goodman, etc.) milbury, ma
04 : 1922 / frank wess (sax, arrange, band) kansas city
07 : 1908 / henry "red" allen (trad trumpet) algeirs, la
07 : 1925 / sam woodyard (drums; late ellington) elizabeth, nj
11 : 1904 / pinetop smith (boogie woogie piano)
11 : 1909 / tab smith (r&b sax) kingston, nc
12 : 1904 / "Mississippi" Fred McDowell (blues guitar, vocals) Rossville, TN
12 : 1916 / jay mcshann (kansas city piano & bandleader) : muskogee, ok [kansas city]
12 : 1912 / trummy young (trombone; late armstrong) savanna, ga
15 : 1909 / gene krupa (drums, band) chicago, ill
17 : 1910 / Sid Catlett (drums) Evansville, IN
22 : 1900 / juan tizol (valve trb; ellington) san juan, p.r.
23 : 1910 / django reinhardt (guitar) liverchies, belgium [paris]
27 : 1908 / Hot Lips Page (trumpet, vocals) Dallas, TX
28 : 1879 / bunk johnson (trad trumpet) : new orleans
30 : 1911 / roy eldridge (trumpet) pittsburgh [nyc]
30 : 1928 / ruth brown (voc) portsmouth, va. [nyc, philly?]
31 : 1906 / Roosevelt Sykes (vocals, piano) Elmar, AR
31 : 1907 / Benny Morton (trombone) New York, NY
31 : 1915 / bobby hackett (trad cornet) providence, ri

february
01 : 1894 / james p. johnson (stride piano) : new brunswick, nj [nyc]
01 : 1904 / tricky sam nanton (trombone; ellington) nyc [nyc]
03 : 1898 / lil hardin (piano, satchmo's wife, hot fives) : memphis [chicago, nyc, new orleans]
09 : 1902 / blanche calloway (bandleader, cab's older sister) : baltimore [nyc]
10 : 1909 / chick webb (drum, band) baltimore [nyc]
13 : 1904 / wingy manone (trumpet) new orleans
15 : 1915 / Taft Jordan (trumpet, vocals) Florence, SC
17 : 1923 / buddy defranco (trad clarinet) camden nj
20 : 1909 / Oscar Aleman (guitar) Restencia, Argentina
22 : 1915 / buddy tate (sax) sherman tx
22 : 1907 / rex stewart (cornet;ellington) philly
25 : 1896 / Ida Cox (vocals) Toccoa, GA
27 : 1904 / mildred bailey (vocs)
27 : 1909 / ben webster (sax) kansas city [k.c., nyc]
28 : 1916 / svend assmussen (violin) copenhagen
29 : 1904 / jimmy dorsey (band, sax) shenandoah, pa


march
01 : 1904 / glenn miller (band, bone)
03 : ???? / barney bigard (clarinet) new orleans
09 : 1909 / herschel evans (sax; basie)
10 : 1903 / bix beiderbecke (tpt) davenport, ia
11 : 1919 / mercer ellington (band, write) wash dc
11 : 1898 / miff mole (trad tromb) roosevelt ny
14 : 1912 / les brown (band) reinerton pa
15 : 1916 / harry james (band, tpt)
15 : 1927 / ruby braff (trad cnt) boston
17 : 1919 / nat "king" cole (piano, voc) montgomery, ala. / chicago [L.A.]
18 : 1899 / Jean Goldkette (bandleader) Valenciennes, France [band featured Bix Beiderbecke]
20 : 1915 / sister rosetta tharpe (voc, guitar; lucky millinder) cotton plant, ark./chicago [chicago?]
21 : 1893 / Bo Carter (vocals, guitar) Bolton, MS
21 : 1930 / otis spann (blues piano, vocs; played w/ muddy waters) jackson, miss. [chicago]
24 : 1904 / pete johnson (piano) kansas city
25 : 1942 / arethra franklin (soul voc) memphis
26 : 1915 / flip phillips (tenor sax)
27 : 1906 / pee wee russel (clar) maplewood mo
27 : 1924 / sarah vaughan (vocs) newark, nj [nyc?]
31 : 1908 / red norvo (vibes, band) beardstown, il
31 : 1911 / freddy green (guitar; basie) charleston, sc [nyc]


april
01 : 1910 / harry carney (bari sax; ellington) boston [nyc]
04 : 1915 / muddy waters (blues voc, guitar, harp) rolling fork, miss. [chicago]
06 : 1960 / john pizzarelli (nat cole-esque vocs & guitar)
07 : 1915 / billie holiday (vocs!) philly/baltimore [nyc]
08 : 1920 / carmen mcrae (voc, piano) nyc [nyc]
12 : 1909 / lionel hampton (vibes) louisville, ky [chicago, LA, nyc]
15 : 1894 / bessie smith (blues lyrics) : chattanooga, tn [?]
22 : 1922 / charles mingus (bass) arizona/LA [LA, nyc]
23 : 1885 / jimmie noone (clarinet) : ? [chicago]
25 : 1918 / ella fitzgerald (voc) newport news/yonkers, ny [nyc]
29 : 1927 / "Big" Jay McNeely (sax) Watts, CA
29 : 1899 / duke ellington : washington, dc [dc, nyc,planet earth]


may
02 : 1904 / bing crosby (vocs)
03 : 1933 / james brown (soul voc, band) barnwell, sc/augusta, ga [?]
08 : 1910 / mary lou williams (piano) atlanta/pittsburgh [pgh, nyc, kansas city]
08 : 1911 / robert johnson (blues voc, guitar) hazelhurst, miss. [texas, chicago, nyc]
11 : 1885 / King Oliver (cornet, band) New Orleans, LA
14 : 1897 / sidney bechet : new orleans [nyc, etc.]
14 : 1898 / zutty singleton : bunkie, la [new orleans, nyc]
18 : 1911 / big joe turner (aka "the singing bartender") : kansas city [kansas city, ?]
21 : 1904 / fats waller : harlem [nyc]
23 : 1910 / artie shaw (band, clar)
26 : 1920 / peggy lee (vocs)
26 : 1926 / miles davis (tpt) alton, ill. [nyc]
28 : 1898 / andy kirk : newport, ky [denver?]
28 : 1900 / Tommy Ladnier (trumpet, cornet) Florence, LA [Chicago]
28 : 1910 / t-bone walker (blues voc, guitar)
30 : 1909 / benny goodman (band, clar)

june
03 : 1897 / memphis minnie (early blues) algiers, la. [memphis]
06 : 1902 / jimmie lunceford (bandleader, arranger) fultom, missouri [nyc]
10 : 1910 / howlin' wolf (blues vocs, guitar, harp) west point, miss. [miss., ark., chicago]
13 : 1892 / Richard M. Jones (band, piano) Barton, LA
13 : 1905 / doc cheatham (trad trumpet) nashville [nyc]
15 : 1923 / erroll garner (piano) pittsburgh [pgh, nyc]
23 : 1913 / helen humes (vocs; early basie, other) louisville, ky [st. louis, nyc]
26 : 1893 / big bill broozny (blues guitar) scott, miss. [arkansas, chicago]

july
01 : 1914 / Earle Warren (sax) Springfield, OH
02 : 1905 / harlan leonard (harlem band)
04 : 1900 / louis armstrong thought he was born on this date
05 : 1913 / smiley lewis (r&b vocs) dequincey, la [new orleans]
08 : 1908 / louis jordan (sax, vocs) brinkley, ark. [nyc]
08 : 1914 / billy eckstine (vocs) pittsburgh/d.c. [?]
24 : 1908 / cootie williams (trp) mobile, ala. [nyc]
25 : 1907 / johnny hodges (sax) cambridge, mass. [nyc]
26 : 1914 / erskine hawkins (band)
29 : 1916 / charlie christian (guitar; goodman sextet) dallas/oklahoma city [L.A.]

august
03 : 1918 / eddie jefferson (vocalese singer, writer) pittsburgh [pittsburgh?]
04 : 1901 / louis armstrong (trp, voc) : [new orleans, chicago, nyc, etc]
05 : 1907 / ernestine davis (trp, international sweethearts) virginia
08 : 1900 / lucky millinder (band)
08 : 1907 / benny carter (sax, trp, compose, bandleader) nyc [nyc]
08 : 1923 / jimmy witherspoon (blues voc)
10 : 1918 / arnett cobb (tenor sax) houston [?]
14 : 1909 / stuff smith (violin)
15 : 1925 / Oscar Peterson (piano, band) Montreal, Canada
16 : 1915 / al hibbler (vocs;ellington) tyro, miss./little rock [memphis, nyc]
14 : 1909 / stuff smith (violin, band, voc) portsmouth, oh [nyc]
21 : 1904 / count basie : red bank, nj [kansas city, nyc]
22 : 1917 / John Lee Hooker ( blues g, voc; writer) Clarksdale, MS
23 : 1913 / bob crosby (trad band)
24 : 1915 / wynonie harris (r&b voc)
24 : 1930 / grover mitchell (trombone; Basie bandleader 1995-2003) whatley, ala./pittsburgh [nyc]
25 : 1928 / willis "gator" jackson (r&b band, tenor sax; played w/ ruth brown)
26 : 1902 / jimmy rushing (blues shouter, basie) : [kansas city]
27 : 1909 / lester young (tenor sax; basie, billie) woodville, ma [LA, oklahoma city, kansas city, nyc]
29 : 1920 / charlie parker (alto sax; check out his rec.s with jay mcshann) kansas city [kansas city, nyc]
29 : 1924 / dinah washington (vocs) tuscaloosa, ala. / chicago [chicago]

september
03 : 1905 / meade lux lewis (piano) : chicago [chicago, nyc]
13 : 1922 / charles brown (blues voc, piano) texas city, tx [LA]
16 : 1903 / Joe Venuti (violin) Philadelphia, PA
16 : 1921 / jon hendricks (vocalese; LHR) newark, oh [nyc]
17 : 1926 / jack mcduff (organ) champaign, ill. [minneapolis?]
21 : 1914 / slam stewart (bass, novelty vocs)
23 : 1907 / Albert Ammons (piano) Chicago, IL

october
05 : 1918 / jimmie blanton (bass, ellington)
10 : 1915 / harry "sweets" edison (trumpet; old-test. basie, etc.) columbus [kansas city, etc]
13 : 1909 / art tatum (piano) toledo [nyc, LA, europe]
13 : 1926 / ray brown (bass) pittsburgh [nyc]
17 : 1909 / cozy cole (drums) east orange, NJ [nyc]
18 : 1919 / anita o'day (vocs)
18 : 1926 / chuck berry (r&r guitar/voc) san jose, ca / st. louis [chicago]
20 : 1890 / Jelly Roll Morton (piano, bandlead, composer) New Orleans, LA
21 : 1912 / don byas (tenor sax) oklahoma [cali, nyc, europe]
21 : 1917 / dizzy gillespie (trpt, band) cheraw, SC/philly [nyc]
25 : 1902 / Eddie Lang (guitar) Philadelphia, PA
26 : 1913 / charlie barnet (band, sax)
31 : 1902 / julia lee (blues vocs, piano) : boonville, miss. [kansas city]
31 : 1922 / illinois jacquet (tenor sax; lionel hampton) boussard, louis. / houston [LA]

november
02 : 1908 / bunny berigan (tpt, band)
11 : 1929 / lavern baker (vocs) chicago [chicago?]
13 : 1894 / Bennie Moten (piano, band) Kansas City
16 : 1964 / diana krall (vocs, piano)
19 : 1905 / tommy dorsey (band, bone)
21 : 1904 / coleman hawkins (sax) st. joseph, missouri [kansas city, nyc, europe]
22 : 1904 / Horace Henderson (piano, arranger) Cuthbert, GA
24 : 1912 / teddy wilson (piano) austin, tx [nyc]
25 : 1897 / willie "the lion" smith (stride piano) goshen, ny [nyc]
27 : 1904 / eddie south (violin) louisiana [chicago, etc.]
29 : 1915 / billy strayhorn (compose, piano; ellington) dayton / hillsborough, nc / pittsburgh [nyc]

december
01 : 1897 / fletcher henderson (band, arr, piano)
04 : 1915 / Eddie Heywood (piano) Atlanta, GA
07 : 1911 / louis prima (tpt, voc, band)
08 : 1928 / jimmy smith (organ) philly [nyc]
11 : 1926 / big mama thornton (blues voc/harp, original "hound dog") montgomery, ala. [houston]
14 : 1920 / clark terry (tpt)
15 : 1895 / andy razaf (lyrics writer, worked with fats waller) washington, dc [nyc]
15 : 1911 / stan kenton (band, sax; anita vocs)
17 : 1910 / sy oliver (trp, compose, band) battle creek, mich. [nyc?]
18 : 1897 / fletcher henderson (bandleader, arranger, pianist) cuthbert, ga [nyc]
18 : 1917 / eddie "cleanhead" vinson (blues vocs, sax) houston [houston, nyc, LA, europe)
19 : 1918 / professor longhair (R&B piano, vocs) new orleans [new orleans]
20 : 1905 / ivie anderson (vocs/ellington) gilroy, ca [nyc]
24 : 1898 / baby dodds (drums) new orleans [new orleans, chicago]
24 : 1908 / jabbo smith (trp) pembroke, ga. [nyc, newark]
25 : 1886 / kid ory (trombone) laplace, la [new orleans]
25 : 1907 / cab calloway (bandleader, vocs) baltimore [nyc]
28 : 1905 / earl hines (piano) pittsburgh [chicago, nyc]
31 : 1908 / jonah jones (trp) louisville, ky

*****sources*****
http://www.aaregistry.com/african_ameri ... ry/5/music = complete
swing by scott yanow (print resource) = complete
http://ksdsdashfmdotorg.editthispage.com/birthdays through march

[Jerry_Jelinek]

How about the centenial birth of

Jimmy Dorsey - Feb 29, 1904
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... 27gjwrj6ix

Or Glenn Miller - Mar 1, 1904
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... fpxqrgldte

[mark0tz]

wow... that's crazy.

[Yakov]

fats waller centennial this year!

[Jerry_Jelinek]

The above list is a good start. Obviously being from a source of black artists people like Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller. Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman etc are ommitted.

Also a few corrections that I spotted.

Louis Armstrong said he was born on July 4, 1900. It is now widely accepted that his actualy birthdate was Aug 4, 1901. This was recently uncovered in some birth records.

Also Earl Hines is listed as 1903. Where this year started I don't know. You see it all the time. The date that Earl himself stated was 1905.

Also Ella Fitzgerald is April 25, 1917. Why she was omitted from Yakov's source is way beyond me.

[Lawrence]

Louis Armstrong said he was born on July 4, 1900. It is now widely accepted that his actualy birthdate was Aug 4, 1901. This was recently uncovered in some birth records.

Verification: that is exactly what I have heard, as well. The July 4, 1900 is one of those oral legends that is too good to be true: it virtually requires a birth certificate to verify it, not to disprove it, even though they have actually found the birth certificate that disproves it.

[falty411]

01 : 1894 / james p. johnson (boogie woogie piano) : new brunswick, nj [nyc]

James P Johnson was not a "boogie woogie" piano player. He was a stride piano player who actually wrote the song "Charleston" for the 1923 play "Runnin Wild" that lead to Charleston's (the dance) popularity.

[Mr Awesomer]

Whomever wrote that must of had him confussed with Pete Johnson, born 03.25.1904... all information one can find perusing allmusic.com

[falty411]

or reading Marshall Stearns book "Jazz Dance"

[Yakov]

all omissions and errors are, respectively, because so far i'm just working through that one black history site (the progress is posted), and I haven't had time to confirm anything yet. once i finish that site i will attack other sites, books, etc. absolutely i will have to get whitey in there too.

slim gaillard was listed on that site as jan 4 and in SWING by scott yanow as jan 1... weird

the james p. johnson style mistake was entirely mine, that was me confusing him with Pete Johnson. apologies. the site actually said stride, i thought they were mistaken.

[Yakov]

updates. now all the pertinent characters from swing by scott yanow are up there, as well as some new entries from the KSDS website.

[djstarr]

awesome - I'm dj'ing tonight and I love Billie Holiday - good excuse to play more of her tracks than I would normally!

[Yakov]

louis jordan and billy eckstine, this week!

[Matthew]

Jan 17 : 1910 / Sid Catlett (drums) Evansville, IN
Jan 27 : 1908 / Hot Lips Page (trumpet, vocals) Dallas, TX
Feb 25 : 1896 / Ida Cox (vocals) Toccoa, GA
Mar 18 : 1899 / Jean Goldkette (bandleader) Valenciennes, France
May 11 : 1885 / King Oliver (cornet, band) New Orleans, LA
May 28 : 1900 / Tommy Ladnier (trumpet, cornet) Florence, LA [Chicago]
Aug 22 : 1917 / John Lee Hooker ( blues guitar, vocals; composer) Clarksdale, MS
Oct 20 : 1890 / Jelly Roll Morton (piano, bandleader, composer) New Orleans, LA
Nov 13 : 1894 / Bennie Moten (piano, band) Kansas City, MO

[Yakov]

cool. thanks!