Grachan Moncur II (sometimes credited as Grachan Moncur, born September 2, 1915 – November 3, 1996) 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 ...
bassist with the
Savoy Sultans The Savoy Sultans was the name of two related 20th-century American jazz ensembles.
Savoy Sultans (1937–1946)
The original Savoy Sultans were formed by saxophonist Al Cooper, and played at the Savoy Ballroom from 1937 to 1946. This small swing ...
.
Early life
Moncur was a multi-instrumentalist as a teenager, learning trombone, tuba, and double bass while growing up in Miami.
Career
After moving to
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.John Hammond heard him. Hammond brought Moncur in for studio sessions in 1935–36 with
Mildred Bailey
Mildred Bailey (born Mildred Rinker; February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a Native American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady" and "Mrs. Swing". She recorded the songs " For Sentimenta ...
,
Bunny Berigan
Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the ...
,
Putney Dandridge
Louis "Putney" Dandridge (January 13, 1902 – February 15, 1946) was an American jazz pianist and singer.
Career
Born in Richmond, Virginia, United States, Dandridge began performing in 1918 as a pianist in a revue entitled ''The Drake and Wal ...
,
Bud Freeman
Lawrence "Bud" Freeman (April 13, 1906 – March 15, 1991) was an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer, known mainly for playing tenor saxophone, but also the clarinet.
Biography
In 1922, Freeman and some friends from high sc ...
, and
Teddy Wilson
Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of ma ...
. He was a founding member of the Savoy Sultans, playing with the group until 1945. Later in the 1940s, he worked with
Ike Quebec
Ike Abrams Quebec (August 17, 1918 – January 16, 1963) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career in the big band era of the 1940s, then fell from prominence for a time until launching a comeback in the years before his dea ...
and Ace Harris. His discography roster also showed he played sessions with baritone and bass saxophones in various 1930s and 1940s recordings.
Moncur returned to Miami in the 1950s, where he remained active until late in the 1960s.
Personal life
Moncur was the half-brother of
Al Cooper
Lofton Alfonso Cooper (1911 – October 5, 1981) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. He founded the Savoy Sultans and was their leader from 1937 to 1946. He was the half-brother of Grachan Moncur II
Grachan Moncur II (sometimes ...
and the father of jazz trombonist
Grachan Moncur III
Grachan Moncur III (June 3, 1937 – June 3, 2022) was an American jazz trombonist. He was the son of jazz bassist Grachan Moncur II and the nephew of jazz saxophonist Al Cooper.
Biography
Born in New York City, United States, (his paternal gran ...