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 m ...

trombonist.

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 Swing or swinging may refer to: Apparatus * Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth * Pendulum, an object that swings * Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus * Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse * Swing ri ...

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 re ...

and soul jazz 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 ...

, and also Charlie Ventura. 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 r ...

, among others. He also appears on the album '' Mingus at Monterey'' 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 an ...

. He also did crossover work with

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

and The Turtles, 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 constitu ...

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 bas ...

* '' Paris Blues'' (United Artists, 1961) * '' First Time! The Count Meets the Duke'' (Columbia, 1971) * '' The Girl's Suite and The Perfume Suite'' (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 John Braheny (December 9, 1938 – January 19, 2013) was an American author and singer-songwriter. He released a solo album in 1968, ''Some Kind of Change'', on the Pete label. He was born in 1938 in Iowa. He also wrote songs for others, incl ...

, ''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 ...

, ''Swahili Strut'' (Cadet, 1971) * Bumble Bee Slim, ''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 so ...

, '' Something Broadway, Something Latin'' (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, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie ...

, '' Venice Blue'' (Capitol, 1965) * Gil Fuller, '' Night Flight'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) * Roosevelt Grier, ''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'' (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, ''Brass Bag'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) * Onzy Matthews, ''Blues with a Touch of Elegance'' (Capitol, 1964) *

, '' Mingus at Monterey'' (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", ...

, '' Monk's Blues'' (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 con ...

, '' 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 Recor ...

, ''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 Lo ...

, ''Back to Back'' (Philles, 1965) * The Three Sounds, '' Coldwater Flat'' (Blue Note, 1968) * Mason Williams, ''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