Abram Lincoln (March 29, 1907 – June 8, 2000) was an American Dixieland jazz trombonist. He never led his own recording session, though he recorded copiously as a sideman.

Early life

Lincoln was born in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

, one of six brothers. He began playing trombone aged five, instructed by his cornet playing father, John. His older brother Bud, would also become a professional musician, as would brothers Roy and Chet.

Career

Lincoln began working professionally in the early 1920s. In the 1920s and 1930s, he spent time playing with

Adrian Rollini Adrian Francis Rollini (June 28, 1903 – May 15, 1956) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played the bass saxophone, piano, vibraphone, and many other instruments. Rollini is also known for introducing the goofus in jazz music. As ...

's California Ramblers (and was the replacement trombonist for Tommy Dorsey), as well as with Arthur Lange,

Ace Brigode Athos C. "Ace" Brigode (January 5, 1893 – February 3, 1960) was a United States dance band leader who enjoyed his greatest popularity in the 1920s. Ace Brigode was born in Illinois. He entered show business as a member of a touring minstrel sh ...

, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Paul Whiteman, and Ozzie Nelson. As a studio musician, Abe most prominently performed occasional solos and dixieland-stylings during the musical portions on the ''Old Time'' radio and '' Fibber McGee and Molly''. He also played with the Billy Mills Orchestra. In the 1930s and into the 1940s, he worked primarily in Los Angeles studios as a sideman. During the Dixieland revival, his career saw a resurgence, playing with Wingy Manone, the Rampart Street Paraders, Red Nichols, Bob Scobey, Pete Fountain, Jack Teagarden, and Matty Matlock. Lincoln played his trombone for music and sound effects "for Walter Lantz Woody Woodpecker cartoons and some

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

comedies". He recorded with

Bill Davison William Edward Davison (January 5, 1906 – November 14, 1989), nicknamed "Wild Bill", was an American jazz cornetist. He emerged in the 1920s through his work playing alongside Muggsy Spanier and Frank Teschemacher in a cover band where they p ...

and did freelance work into the 1970s. He retired around 1980, but still occasionally performed at weddings and other special occasions.

Personal life

Lincoln married Isabelle Welch in early 1929. They had four children: Abe Jr, Joyce, Lois and Robert. He was a resident of

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, t ...

. from 1939 until his death. He died there in 2000.

References

External links

Abram Lincoln articlesPortrait of Abe Lincoln, with his wife, Isabelle and his son, Abe Jr., Van Nuys, California, 1935.
Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections,

Charles E. Young Research Library The Charles E. Young Research Library is one of the largest libraries on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. It initially opened in 1964, and a second phase of construction was completed ...

, University of California, Los Angeles. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lincoln, Abe 1907 births 2000 deaths American jazz trombonists Male trombonists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century trombonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians People from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Musicians from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Musicians from Pennsylvania Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania People from Van Nuys, Los Angeles Musicians from Los Angeles