Billy Bauer (November 14, 1915 – June 17, 2005) was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
guitarist.
Life
William Henry Bauer was born in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He played ukulele and banjo as a child before switching to guitar. He played with the Jerry Wald band and recorded with Carl Hoff and His Orchestra in 1941, before joining
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...
in 1944 as a member of the First Herd. In 1946, he played with
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
and
Jack Teagarden
Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 19 ...
.
Working in small groups led by bassist Chubby Jackson and trombonist Bill Harris, Bauer established himself as a soloist in the bebop movement.
In 1946, he began working with Lennie Tristano. Tristano and Bauer enjoyed a natural synergy in their style and approach. Their development of "intuitive music" led to the 1949 session (collected on ''
Crosscurrents
''CrossCurrents'' is a quarterly academic journal published by the Association for Public Religion and Intellectual Life (before 1990, it was published by the Convergence). Now published as a peer-reviewed academic journalAccording to the journal ...
'') which included " Intuition", and "Digression". He was a member of the NBC ''Tonight Show'' band in New York City and played in the ''Today Show'' band at the start of early television.
Bauer continued his pioneering guitar work in a partnership with
Lee Konitz
Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist.
He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...
, whose
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
saxophone work was a perfect match for Bauer's guitar. The two musicians' dialogue crossed styles from bop and cool to the avant-garde. Their recordings have been described as "some of the most beautiful duet recordings in jazz". "Duet For Saxophone and Guitar" was an unusual instrument pairing which has been described as redefining the role of jazz guitar.
Bauer made one album under his own name, ''Plectrist'', in 1956. The CD reissue has been described as "demand ngthe attention of anyone even remotely interested in jazz guitar". Later, he arranged the song "No One" that appeared on the CD ''Henry Golis Presents Good Music with Friends'', which was released on Park Lane Drive Records in 2007.
He died of pneumonia in New York, aged 89.
Teaching
In later life Bauer taught at the New York Conservatory of Modern Music and his own Billy Bauer Guitar School, first in Albertson, New York, then in
Roslyn Heights, New York
Roslyn Heights is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered part of the Greater Roslyn area, which is anchored by the Incorporated Vil ...
. He also published instructional books on studying music and playing the guitar.
Near the end of his career, Bauer appeared at the 1997 JVC Tributes for
Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Known in particular for his knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies, he was a member of many prominent jazz groups a ...
and
Tal Farlow
Talmage Holt Farlow (June 7, 1921 – July 25, 1998) was an American jazz guitarist. He was nicknamed "Octopus" because of how his large, quick hands spread over the fretboard. As Steve Rochinski notes, "Of all the guitarists to emerge in th ...
. Bauer led the way for guitarists like
Jimmy Raney
James Elbert Raney (August 20, 1927 – May 10, 1995) was an American jazz guitarist, born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, known for his work from 1951 to 1952 and then from 1953 to 1954 with the Red Norvo trio (replacing Tal Farlow) and ...
and student Joe Satriani.
In 1997 he published his autobiography ''Sideman'' (with Thea Luba; ).
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
* ''Benny in Brussels Volume 1'' (Columbia, 1958)
* ''Benny in Brussels Volume 2'' (Columbia, 1958)
With
Lee Konitz
Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist.
He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...
* ''
Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh
Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh is a 1955 studio album by jazz saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. The Atlantic catalogue number was SD 1217. It was recorded on June 14, 1955, at Coastal Studios in New York City.
The album was re-released on LP b ...
'' (
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
, 1955)
* ''
Inside Hi-Fi
''Inside Hi-Fi'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz which was released on the Atlantic label in 1956.The Real Lee Konitz
''The Real Lee Konitz'' is a live album by American jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz which was released on the Atlantic record label in 1957.
'' (Atlantic, 1957)
* ''
Tranquility
Tranquillity (also spelled tranquility) is the quality or state of being tranquil; that is, calm, serene, and worry-free. The word tranquillity appears in numerous texts ranging from the religious writings of Buddhism, where the term ''passaddhi'' ...
'' (
Verve
Verve may refer to:
Music
* The Verve, an English rock band
* ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve
* ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album)
* Verve Records, an American jazz record label
Businesses
* Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...
Ralph Burns
Ralph Joseph P. Burns (June 29, 1922 – November 21, 2001) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger.
Early life
Burns was born in Newton, Massachusetts, United States, where he began playing the piano as a child. In 1938, he attend ...
Winter Sequence
''Winter Sequence'' is a 1954 Christmas jazz album from American pianist Ralph Burns and British music critic Leonard Feather with an ad hoc ensemble of musicians, released on MGM Records.
Recording, release, and reception
Feather composed ...
'' (MGM, 1954)
*
Tony Aless
Anthony Alessandrini, better known by his stage name Tony Aless (August 28, 1921 – January 11, 1988) was an American jazz pianist.Gene Lees, Lees, Gene ''Leader of the band: The life of Woody Herman'' p. 117. Oxford University Press, 1995. . Acc ...
, ''Long Island Suite'' (Royal Roost 1955)
*
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...
, ''Charlie Parker Plays Cole Porter'' (Verve, 1957)
* George Barnes, ''Guitar Galaxies'' (Mercury, 1962)
* Al Caiola, ''The Guitar Style of Al Caiola'' (RCA Camden, 1962)
*
Harry Carney
Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinettist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments but primarily used the baritone saxopho ...
, ''With Strings'' (Clef, 1955)
*
Helen Carroll
Helen Carroll and the Satisfiers were an American smooth harmony popular music singing group of the mid-20th century consisting of Carroll (a female singer) and the Satisfiers (three male singers, Bob Lange, Ted Hansen and Art Lambert)
Helen Carr ...
,
Carl Kress
Carl Kress (October 20, 1907 – June 10, 1965) was an American jazz guitarist.
Music career
Kress started on piano before picking up the banjo. Beginning in 1926, he played guitar during his brief period in Paul Whiteman's orchestra. For most ...
, ''Singin' & Swingin' '' (Stere-O-Craft 1958)
* Al Cohn, '' Mr. Music'' (
RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
, 1955)
* Cozy Cole, ''Cozy Cole and Other All-Time Jazz Stars'' (Colortone 1959)
*
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...
, ''The Music Goes Round and Round'' (Bluebird, 1991)
* Bobby Hackett,
Jack Teagarden
Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 19 ...
, ''Jazz Ultimate'' (Capitol, 1958)
*
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
, ''
The Complete RCA Victor Recordings
''The Complete RCA Victor Recordings'' is a 1995 compilation 2-CD set of sessions led by Jazz trumpeter and composer Dizzy Gillespie recorded for the RCA Victor label between 1937 and 1949.
Reception
Writing for Allmusic, Richard S. Ginell stat ...
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...
, ''
Songs for Hip Lovers
''Songs for Hip Lovers'' is a 1957 vocal album by the jazz bandleader Woody Herman, arranged by Marty Paich.
Recording and music
The album was recorded in two sessions, in January and March 1957. The material is standards and the arrangements ar ...
'' (Verve, 1957)
*
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...
J.J. Johnson
J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger.
Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop.
Biography ...
, ''Jay & Kai'' (Savoy, 1954) - 4 tracks only
*
Beverly Kenney
Beverly Kenney (January 29, 1932, Harrison, New Jersey – April 13, 1960, Greenwich Village, New York City) was an American jazz singer.
Early life
Kenney was born in Harrison, New Jersey on January 29, 1932, the second of Charles Joseph and ...
, ''Come Swing with Me'' (LPTime, 2007)
*
Big Miller
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show
* ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show presente ...
Barry Ulanov Baruch "Barry" Ulanov (April 10, 1918 – April 30, 2000) was an American writer, perhaps best known as a jazz critic.
Background
Barry Ulanov was born in Manhattan, New York City. He received early instruction on the violin from his father Nathan ...
, Tadd Dameron, ''Anthropology'' (Spotlite, 1972)
* Charlie Ventura, ''Jumping with Ventura'' (EmArcy, 1955)
* Ben Webster, ''Ben and the Boys'' (Jazz Archives, 1976)
*
Cootie Williams
Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter.
Biography
Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Yo ...