Julius J. "Geechie" Fields (September 9, 1904 – August 15, 1997) 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 ...

trombonist.

Early life

Fields grew up in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, and learned to play trombone at the

Jenkins Orphanage The Jenkins Orphanage, now officially known as the Jenkins Institute For Children, was established in 1891 by Rev. Daniel Joseph Jenkins in Charleston, South Carolina. Jenkins was a businessman and Baptist minister who encountered street children ...

Career

In the early 1920s he became a touring member of the Jenkins Orphanage bands, then relocated to New York City, where he was a house musician at John O'Connor's club."Geechie Fields". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd edition, ed.

Barry Kernfeld Barry Dean Kernfeld (born August 11, 1950) is an American musicologist and jazz saxophonist who has researched and published extensively about the history of jazz and the biographies of its musicians. Education In 1968, Kernfeld enrolled at U ...

, 2004. Primarily a trombonist, he was also credited as playing the alto saxophone and clarinet. He played with Earle Howard in 1926 and 1927, recorded with

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...

in 1928 and 1930, and with

Charlie Skeete Charlie may refer to: Characters * "Charlie," the head of the Townsend Agency', from the ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise * Charlie, a character on signs for the CharlieCard, a smart card issued by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority * ...

and

Bill Benford Bill Benford (c. 1902 – before 1994) was an American jazz double-bassist and tubist. He was born in Charleston, West Virginia. Benford was the brother of drummer Tommy Benford. He, like his brother, was a member of the Jenkins Orphanage b ...

in 1929. He also worked with Clarence Williams and

James P. Johnson James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894 – November 17, 1955) was an American pianist and composer. A pioneer of stride piano, he was one of the most important pianists in the early era of recording, and like Jelly Roll Morton, one of the key ...

Personal life

In the 1930s, Fields married singer Myra Johnson. He later left music to become a boxing coach.

Early life

Career

Personal life

References

Further reading