Lou Blackburn (November 12, 1922 – 7 June 1990) 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 The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

Biography

Blackburn was born in

Rankin, Pennsylvania Rankin is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, south of Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River. The borough was named after Thomas Rankin, a local landowner. Early in the 20th century, Rankin specialized in manufacturing stee ...

. He is best known for his work in the swing genre but he also performed in the

West Coast jazz West Coast jazz refers to styles of jazz that developed in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a subgenre of cool jazz, which consisted of a calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music relied rela ...

and

soul jazz Soul jazz or funky jazz is a subgenre of jazz that incorporates strong influences from hard bop, blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Soul jazz is often characterized by organ trios featuring the Hammond organ and small combos including ten ...

mediums. During the 1950s, he played

swing music Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. The name derived from its emphasis on the off-beat, or nominally weaker beat. Swing bands ...

with

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

, and also

Charlie Ventura Charlie Ventura (born Charles Venturo; December 2, 1916 – January 17, 1992) was an American tenor saxophonist and bandleader from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Career During the 1940s, Ventura played saxophone for the bands o ...

. In the early 1960s, he began performing with musicians like

Cat Anderson William Alonzo "Cat" Anderson (September 12, 1916 – April 29, 1981) was an American jazz trumpeter known for his long period as a member of Duke Ellington's orchestra and for his wide range, especially his ability to play in the altissimo ...

, among others. He also appears on the album ''

Mingus at Monterey ''Mingus at Monterey'' is a live album by the jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus, recorded in 1964 at the Monterey Jazz Festival and originally released on Mingus's short-lived mail-order Jazz Workshop label but subsequently released on othe ...

'' by

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...

. He also did crossover work with

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

and

The Turtles ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, among others. From 1970, he lived in Germany, where he toured successfully with his ethno jazz band ''Mombasa''. Blackburn died in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

in 1990.

Discography

As leader

* ''Jazz Frontier'' (Imperial, 1963) * ''Two Note Samba'' (Imperial, 1963) * '' The Complete Imperial Sessions'' (Blue Note, 2006)

As sideman

With

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

* ''

Paris Blues ''Paris Blues'' is a 1961 American musical romantic drama film directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sidney Poitier as expatriate jazz saxophonist Eddie Cook, and Paul Newman as trombone-playing Ram Bowen. The two men romance two vacationing Americ ...

'' (United Artists, 1961) * ''

First Time! The Count Meets the Duke ''First Time! The Count Meets the Duke'' is an album by American pianists, composers and bandleaders Duke Ellington and Count Basie with their combined Orchestras recorded and released on the Columbia label in 1961.The Girl's Suite and The Perfume Suite ''The Girl's Suite and The Perfume Suite'' is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington compiling recordings from 1957 and 1961 which were released on the Columbia label in 1982.

'' (Columbia, 1982) With others *

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...

, ''Soulful Brass #2'' (Flying Dutchman, 1969) * John Braheny, ''Some Kind of Change'' (By Pete 1968) *

Bobby Bryant Bobby Bryant (born January 24, 1944) is a former cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings. Early life At Willingham High School, he was a star in football along with basketball, track and field, and baseball. Bryant was recruited to play for the Un ...

, ''Swahili Strut'' (Cadet, 1971) *

Bumble Bee Slim Admirl Amos Easton (May 7, 1905 – June 8, 1968), better known by the stage name Bumble Bee Slim, was an American Piedmont blues singer and guitarist. Biography Easton was born in Brunswick, Georgia, United States. Several original sources con ...

, ''Back in Town'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) *

June Christy June Christy (born Shirley Luster; November 20, 1925June 21, 1990) was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a sol ...

, ''

Something Broadway, Something Latin ''Something Broadway, Something Latin'' is an album by June Christy that was released in 1965 on Capitol as ST-2410. A bonus track was added to the CD. In 2009 the album was reissued as a double-CD with Jeri Southern's 1959 album ''Jeri Southern M ...

'' (Capitol, 1965) *

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, Pop music, pop, rock and roll, Folk music, folk, Swing music, swing, and country music. He started his car ...

, ''

Venice Blue ''Venice Blue'' is an album by American singer Bobby Darin, released in 1965. It peaked at 132 on the '' Billboard'' charts. ''Venice Blue'' was also released in the United Kingdom as ''I Wanna Be Around'' with a slightly altered cover using the s ...

'' (Capitol, 1965) *

Gil Fuller Walter Gilbert "Gil" Fuller (April 14, 1920, Los Angeles, California – May 26, 1994, San Diego, California) was an American jazz arranger. He is no relation to the jazz trumpeter and vocalist Walter Fuller (musician), Walter "Rosetta" Fuller. I ...

, '' Night Flight'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) *

Roosevelt Grier Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier (born July 14, 1932) is an American actor, singer, Protestant minister, and former professional football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective plac ...

, ''Soul City'' (Recording Industries, 1964) *

Chico Hamilton Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He came to prominence as sideman for Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne. Hamilton became a bandleader, ...

, ''

Chic Chic Chico ''Chic Chic Chico'' is an album by American jazz drummer Chico Hamilton featuring performances recorded in 1965 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1965) *

, ''Hamp's Big Band'' (Audio Fidelity, 1959) *

Tricky Lofton Lawrence "Tricky" Lofton (born May 28, 1930, Houston) is an American jazz trombonist. He studied with Kid Ory, and J. J. Johnson, and made several recordings with Carmell Jones. Discography As sideman * Bill Doggett, ''Dance Awhile with Doggett'' ...

Carmell Jones Carmell Jones (July 19, 1936 – November 7, 1996) was an American jazz trumpet player. Biography Jones was born in Kansas City, Kansas, United States. He started piano lessons at age five, and trumpet lessons at age seven. His first professional ...

, ''Brass Bag'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) *

Onzy Matthews Onzy Durrett Matthews, Jr. (January 15, 1930 – November 13, 1997) was an American jazz pianist, singer, arranger and composer as well as a television and movie actor. He is best known for the big band arrangements done for the Lou Rawls albums ' ...

, ''Blues with a Touch of Elegance'' (Capitol, 1964) *

, ''

'' (Jazz Workshop, 1965) *

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", "B ...

, ''

Monk's Blues ''Monk's Blues'' is an album by Thelonious Monk accompanied by a big band arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson. Originally released by Columbia Records in 1968, it was re-released on CD in 1994. Produced by Teo Macero, the album was recorded i ...

'' (Columbia, 1968) *

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

, '' Listen to the Band'' (Rhino, 1991) *

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

, ''

Live from Los Angeles ''Live from Los Angeles'' is an album by American jazz composer/arranger Oliver Nelson featuring performances recorded in 1967 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1967) *

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

, ''Confessin' the Blues'' (Atlantic, 1976) *

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably his s ...

, ''Black and Blue and Tobacco Road'' (Capitol, 2006) *

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Records ...

, ''Contemporary Sound of Nelson Riddle'' (United Artists, 1968) *

The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los ...

, ''Back to Back'' (Philles, 1965) *

The Three Sounds The Three Sounds (also known as The 3 Sounds) were an American jazz piano trio that formed in 1956 and disbanded in 1973. The band formed in Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States, as the Four Sounds. The original line-up consisted of Gene Harri ...

, '' Coldwater Flat'' (Blue Note, 1968) *

Mason Williams Mason Douglas Williams (born August 24, 1938) is an American classical guitarist, composer, singer, writer, comedian, and poet, best known for his 1968 instrumental "Classical Gas" and for his work as a comedy writer on ''The Smothers Brothers ...

, ''The Mason Williams Ear Show'' (Warner Bros., 1968) *

Gerald Wilson Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. In addition to being a ...

, '' Moment of Truth'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) * The Yellow Balloon, ''The Yellow Balloon'' (Canterbury, 1967)

References

* Kampmann, Wolf (ed.) ''Reclams Jazzlexikon''. Stuttgart 2003; * 1922 births 1990 deaths People from Rankin, Pennsylvania American jazz trombonists Male trombonists Cool jazz trombonists Soul-jazz trombonists Swing trombonists West Coast jazz trombonists Duke Ellington Orchestra members The Wrecking Crew (music) members 20th-century American musicians Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 20th-century trombonists American male jazz musicians 20th-century American male musicians {{US-jazz-trombonist-stub