Roy Eldridge
Eldridge at the Village Jazz Lounge in Walt Disney World (photo by Laura Kolb)
Background information
Birth name	Roy David Eldridge
Born	January 30, 1911(1911-01-30)
Origin	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	February 26, 1989 (aged 78)
Genre(s)	Jazz Swing Big Band
Occupation(s)	Trumpeter
Instrument(s)	Trumpet
Associated acts	Charlie Barnet

Roy David Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American jazz trumpet player. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other 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 Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. For other persons with this name see Charlie Barnett. Charles Daly Barnet ( October 26, 1913 – September 4 Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 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 His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the Swing Era and a precursor of bebop. In Jazz Music, a tritone substitution is the use in a Chord progression of a dominant seventh chord (major/minor seventh chord that is three John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( October 21 1917 &ndash January 6 1993) was an American Jazz Trumpeter The Swing Era was the period of time (1935&ndash1946 when Big band Swing music was the most popular music in America. Bebop or bop is a form of Jazz characterized by fast Tempos and Improvisation based on Harmonic structure rather than Melody

Life

Eldridge was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and originally played drums, trumpet and tuba. He led bands from his early years, moving to St. Louis, and then to New York. He absorbed the influence of saxophonists Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins, setting himself the task of learning Hawkins 1926 solo on "The Stampede" in developing an equivalent trumpet style. Bennett Lester Carter (born August 8, 1907 in Harlem New York; died July 12, 2003 in Los Angeles California) was Coleman Randolph Hawkins ( November 21 1904 - May 19 1969) Nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean" was a prominent ^[1]

Eldridge played in various bands in New York in the early 1930s, as well as making records and radio broadcasts under his own name. His rhythmic power to swing a band was a dynamic trademark of the jazz of the time. It has been said that "from the mid-Thirties onwards, he had superseded Louis Armstrong as the exemplar of modern 'hot' trumpet playing". ^[2]

Eldridge was very versatile on his horn, not only quick and articulate with the low to middle registers, but the high registers as well. The high register lines that Eldridge employed were one of many prominent features of his playing, another being blasts of rapid double time notes followed by a return to standard time. These stylistic points were heavy influences on Dizzy Gillespie, who, along with Charlie Parker, brought bebop into existence. Eldridge participated in some of the early jam sessions at Minton's Playhouse. Minton’s Playhouse is a Jazz club and bar located on the first floor of the Hotel Cecil at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem. A careful listening to BeBop standards, such as the song BeBop, will reveal how much Eldridge influenced this genre of Jazz.

In May 1941 Eldridge joined Gene Krupa's Orchestra, and was successfully featured with rookie singer Anita O'Day on a series of recordings including the novelty hit "Let Me Off Uptown". Gene Krupa ( January 15, 1909 &ndash October 16, 1973) was an influential American Jazz and Big band Drummer Anita O'Day ( October 18, 1919 &ndash November 23, 2006) was an American Jazz singer However, Eldridge complained that O'Day was upstaging him and the band broke up after Krupa was jailed for marijuana possession in July 1943. ^[3] Eldridge then joined Artie Shaw's band. Arthur Jacob Arshawsky ( May 23, 1910 &ndash December 30, 2004) better known as Artie Shaw, was an American Jazz

In the postwar years, he became part of the group which toured under the Jazz at the Philharmonic banner. Jazz at the Philharmonic or JATP (1944 - 1983 was the title of a series of Concerts and Recordings produced by Norman Granz (1918 - 2001 He moved to Paris for a time, before returning to New York, where he worked with Coleman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald and Earl "Fatha" Hines among others. Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25 1917 &ndash June 15 1996 also known as " Lady Ella " and the "First Lady of Song" is considered one of the most influential Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl "Fatha" Hines, ( 28 December, 1903 Duquesne Pennsylvania &ndash 22 April In 1971, Eldridge was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. Down Beat is an American Magazine devoted to "jazz blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively After a stroke in 1980, he continued performing on other instruments for the remainder of his life.

References

1. ^ Lyttelton, Humphrey (1998). The Best of Jazz. Robson Books. ISBN 1-86105-187-5.  , p410
2. ^ Lyttelton, p414
3. ^ Anita O'Day with George Eels, High Times, Hard Times, New York, Limelight, 1981, p. 102-123

• John Chilton: Roy Eldridge, Little Jazz Giant (Continuum: 2002) ISBN 0-8264-5692-8

External links

• All Music
• Jazz Trumpet site
• PBS's "Jazz" site
• http://www.iaje.org/bio.asp?ArtistID=59