William C. "Buster" Bailey (1902-1967) was a talented jazz musician specializing in the clarinet, but also well versed on saxophone. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Bailey was one of the most respected session players of his era. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Session musicians are musicians available for hire as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical outfit or who have acquired fame in their own right
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Career History
Early Career
Buster Bailey was a master of the clarinet and was educated on the instrument by classical teacher Franz Schoepp, the man who taught Benny Goodman. Bailey got his start with W.C. Handy’s Orchestra in 1917 when he was just fifteen years old. William Christopher Handy ( November 16 1873 &ndash March 28 1958) was a Blues Composer and Musician, often After two years of touring with Handy, Bailey quit the orchestra while the band was in Chicago. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. In 1919, Bailey joined Erskine Tate’s Vendome Orchestra and remained with Tate until 1923 when he joined up with Joe "King" Oliver. Erskine Tate (January 14 1895 Memphis Tennessee - December 17 1978 Chicago) was an American Jazz violinist and bandleader Joe "King" Oliver, ( December 19, 1885 &ndash April 10, 1938) was a Jazz Cornet player and Bandleader As a member of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Bailey met and became friends with Louis Armstrong, who was also a member of the band at that time. Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter In 1924, Armstrong left King Oliver’s Jazz Band to join Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra in New York. Fletcher Hamilton Henderson Jr ( December 18, 1897 &ndash December 28, 1952) was an American pianist bandleader Arranger Within a month Armstrong extended an invitation for Buster Bailey to join him as a member of Henderson’s band. Bailey accepted and moved to New York City. The City of New York
Mid Career
In New York during the late 1920s, Buster Bailey became a highly respected sideman with Perry Bradford and others, and appeared on numerous recordings playing both the clarinet and the soprano saxophone. A sideman is a professional Musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he is not a regular member Perry Bradford ( 14 February 1893, Montgomery Alabama - 20 April 1970, New York City) was an African American The soprano saxophone was invented in 1840 and is a variety of the Saxophone, a Woodwind instrument. Most notably Bailey performed on a number of Clarence Williams albums. In 1927 he left Fletcher Henderson and undertook a tour of Europe with Noble Sissle’s Orchestra. Noble Sissle (b July 10 1889, Indianapolis Indiana - d December 17, 1975, Tampa Florida) was an American After his return, Bailey performed with several other jazz greats, including Edgar Hayes and Dave Nelson. Edgar Hayes (May 23 1904 Lexington Kentucky - June 28 1979 San Bernardino California) was an American Jazz pianist and Bandleader. He rejoined Sissle’s orchestra in 1931 and continued with the group through 1933. In 1934, Bailey was back briefly with Fletcher Henderson, but by the end of the year he had settled down as a member of the John Kirby Band. John Kirby ( December 31, 1908 &ndash June 14, 1952) was a jazz Double-bassist who played the Trombone as well as Bailey remained a member of Kirby’s band until 1946, but that didn’t stop him from performing with other artists. In 1934 and 1935, Bailey was playing with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band and in 1937 he was a session player for Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters. The Mills Blue Rhythm Band was an American Big band of the 1930s Midge Williams ( May 27 1915 &ndash 1952 was an African American Swing Jazz vocalist during the 1930s and 1940s He also recorded music during this time as Buster Bailey and His Rhythm Busters.
Late Career
In 1946, Buster Bailey went independent and led his own band, but his group lasted for only the year. In 1947 he joined Wilbur de Paris and performed with him until 1949. Wilbur de Paris ( January 11, 1900 &ndash January 3, 1973) was a Trombone player and band leader especially known for mixing During the early 1950s Bailey was with Big Chief Russell Moore, but for most of the decade Bailey played with Henry "Red" Allen. Big Chief Russell Moore (August 13 1912 - December 15 1983 was an American Jazz trombonist Henry "Red" Allen ( January 7, 1906 or 1908 (see talk &ndash April 17, 1967) was a Jazz Trumpeter whose style From 1961 to 1963 he performed with Wild Bill Davison. ' Wild' Bill Davison ( January 5 1906, Defiance Ohio &ndash November 14 1989, Santa Barbara California) was a fiery Bailey was with the Saints And Sinners from 1963 to 1964, and in 1965 he rejoined his old friend Armstrong and became a member of Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars.
Buster Bailey died in April 1967 of a heart attack. He was living in Brooklyn, New York, at the time. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City.
Screen Appearances
Buster Bailey appeared on film three times during his career. The first was in a film entitled That's the Spirit (1933) in which he played himself as a band member. The second was in 1961 on the television program The DuPont Show of the Week in an episode entitled "America's Music - Chicago and All That Jazz". His final appearance was with Louis Armstrong in When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965), again as a musician.
Scholarly resources
- Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Gove Dictionary of Jazz, vol. 1. London: Macmillan Publishers, Ltd. , 2002.
- Larkin, Colin, ed. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, vol. 1. London: Macmillan Reference, Ltd. , 1998.
External links
- Buster Bailey bio
- Buster Bailey and His Rhythm Busters Discography
- Answers.com Buster Bailey
- Buster Bailey at the Internet Movie Database
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