came to the world in Texarkana, Texas on November 24th, 1868, and while not recognized as a jazz celebrity, he was the foremost originator of classical "Ragtime". In fact, he wrote the most famous of all rags—the "Maple Leaf rag", named after the Maple Leaf Club in Sedalia, Missouri where he played. Joplin’s father, who had been a slave, won his freedom five years before Scott was born. and had played the violin in plantation bands. Mother sang and played the banjo. Scott left home to become a musician and played in various orchestras and as a saloon pianist and by 1885 he had arrived in St. Louis where a flourishing school of pianists played primitive ragtime. Joplin led a small orchestra at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893 While Joplin composed a plethora of Ragtime pieces which were published and very successful at the time, only his Maple Leaf Rag maintained its popularity into the jazz age.

LOUIS JORDAN.

Louis Thomas Jordan was born in Brinkley, Arkansas on July 8th, 1908, and began touring as a saxophonist and singer while a teen-ager. He performed with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, and supported the classic blues singers--Ma Rainey, Ida Cox and Bessie Smith. In the 30's Louis Jordan played with Louis Armstrong in New York, as well as with Clarence Williams, Chic Webb and Ella Fitzgerald. It was with Bebb that his career began as a wacky, novelty singer and her promoted himself as a musical comdedian. After World War two he sold millions of records including "Is you is or is you ain't my baby."

Taft Jordan

A fine trumpeter, Taft Jordan was known early in his career (when he joined Chic Webb.) Taft Jordan had played and recorded with the Washboard Rhythm Kings before starting his long stint with Webb. which continued after the drummer's death. Jordan was (along with Bobby Stark) Webb’s main trumpet soloist throughout the 1930s and he gradually developed an original sound of his own. He gained a lot of attention during his period with Duke Ellington (1943-1947), although Jordan maintained a lower profile during his last 24 years. He worked at the Savannah Club in New York, toured with Benny Goodman, played in show bands and, had his own group. Taft Jordan recorded four titles as a leader in 1935 and one album apiece for Mercury, Aamco, and Moodsville during 1960-1961.

Came to the world in Witchita, Kansa on December 15th, 1911. After playing in several dance bands as pianist, he decided to form a band of his own in 1941 which he called the "Artistry in Rhythm" orchestra. He formed powerful brass sections and imaginative saxophone voicings, unlike those of contemporary competitors. The band became especially popular among younger peple and increased in popularity dramatically with mucicians like Buddy Childers, Art Pepper, Kai Winding and Shelly Manne, and with arrangements by Kenton and Pete Rugolo. Then came singers—Anita O-day, June Christy and Chris Conner—helping catapault Kenton to great success. In the fifties—his popularity still running high, Kenton formed a 43 piece band in which Maynard Furgeson joined the trumpet section. More than most musicians, Stan Kenton created mixed feelings among jazz lovers: Those who either LOVED or HATED his music. As a leader, Kenton brought an unrestrained enthusiasm to jazz that lasted for many years.—long after Kenton retired to pursue his second passion in life: The study of Psychology.

Jerome Kern

Jerome Kern (1885-1945) is arguably the father modern American musical theater. Born in New York of German heritage, he attended the New York College of Music and began to break into Broadway theater during the first decade of the century by having songs of his interpolated into shows., Breaking away from the European model of waltz music, Kern proved adept at adapting contempoarary dance music into his songs as well as producing subtle, inventive ballads.

Barney Kessel was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on October 17^th, 1923.
His first job was with a big band formed by Chico Marx. He settled in Los Angeles and played with Charlie Barnet and Artie Shaw in the 40’s. For the next twenty years Kessel was busy with studio work, first in radio and then on TV and in films. Yet, he still appeared frequently on jazz records, for example with Charlie Parker. He joined the Oscar Peterson trio for one year in 1952, including Jazz at the Philharmonic tours in the USA and Europe. Then he began making records albums under his own name. Kessel also toured Europe with the Newport Festival group in 1967. Back in the USA, Kessel resumed recording and became involved in teaching with annual trips to Europe to give seminars..

JOHN KIRBY

Born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 31st, 1908, Kirby Played tuba for Bill Brown’s Brownies in New York, but switched over to bass after joining Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra in 1930. He was in and out of bands led by Chic Webb, Lucky Milander and Charlie Barnet and, in 1937 moved into the Onyx club in New York to work with Frankie Newton and Pete Brown (who were soon replaced by Charlie Shavers and Russell Procope. Shavers brilliant arrangement quickly made Kirby’s sextet the talk of the town , dubbed as "The Biggest little swing band in the world" It, indeed, performed at the best hotels including the Waldorf Astoria and landed an NBC radio contract featuring Kirby’s wife, Maxine Sullivan.

Andy Kirk

Andy Kirk was born on May 28^th, 1898 in Newport, Ky. He was raised in Colorado and learned to play several instruments as a child. He studied diligently and one of his tutors was Wilberforce Whiteman—father of Paul Whiteman. Kirk played in several bands in and around Denver and in 1927 he moved to Dallas, Texas where he joined Terrence Holder’s band—"The Dark clouds of Joy". Kirk took over that band two years later and changed the name to "The Clouds of joy." His musicians all stayed on through the years—many of them great artists such as pianist Mary Lou Williams and her husband, saxophonist John Williams, Buddy Tate, Ben Thigpen and others. Kirk led a subtly swinging band offering the best of commercial Kansas City Jazz and enjoyed several years of success. The clouds of joy folded in 1948 after which Kirk eventually dropped out of music to take up hotel management. In the 80’s he worked with the N.Y. local of the American Federation of musicians and continued to make appearances until long after retirement age.

Arguably the most exciting saxophone soloist in jazz history, Kirk was a post-modernist before that term even existed. Kirk played the continuum of jazz tradition as an instrument unto itself; he felt little compunction about mixing and matching elements from the music's history, and his concoctions usually seemed natural, if not inevitable. When discussing Kirk, a great deal of attention is always paid to his eccentricities playing several horns at once, making his own instruments, clowning on stage. However, Kirk was an immensely creative artist; perhaps no improvising saxophonist has ever possessed a more comprehensive technique one that covered every aspect of jazz, from Dixieland to free and perhaps no other jazz musician has ever been more spontaneously inventive. ..

Lee Konitz was also born on October 13th—but in year 1927 in Chicago.
He began on clarinet and later switched to saxophone, playing with the bands of Jerry Wald and Claude Thornhill in the late forties and appearing on jazz dates with Miles Davis. Konitz studied with Lennie Tristano, with whom he also recorded. In the 50’s he played with Stan Kenton for a while and then went on to establish an international reputation. Konitz became involved more and more in teaching and was soon running workshops, giving private instruction Lee Konitz was one of the few saxophonists of his generation NOT influenced by Charlie Parker, and managed to avoid being compared to anyone else. He maintained his own style.

CARL KRESS

Carl Kress was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 20, 1907. He was an outstanding and highly respected guitarrist, and active throughout the 20’s and 30’s making numerous recordings. Kress often worked with other guitarists—Eddie Lang and Dick McDonough among them, playing in duet fashion.  In the 40’s and 50’s Kress retained his preference for Acoustical guitar, despite the changes generated by Charlie Christian. He worked frequently with George Barnes

Gene Krupa

Was Born in Chicago on January 15th, 1909 and began playing drums as a child. In his teens he played with several local dance bands, and in 1927 he made his first records with a group organized by Eddie Condon. Condon and Krupa left Chicago together for New York where they already had a great reputation. Krupa found the going tough though, and worked with Theatre pit orchestras including some directed by Red Nichols in which he played alongside Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. In the thirties Krupa played in dance bands and late in 1934 he joined Benny Goodman’s recently formed big band. The relationship proved to be a mixed blessing---Fantastic Success and bitter quarrels, but time doesn’t permit us to relate all the details. Krupa was a major factor in Goodman’s pre-1939 band, and during the 60’s, Krupa joined his old boss at reunions of the old quartet—with Lionel Hampton and Teddy Wilson. Gene Krupa acknowledged Chic Webb as his greatest influence, and throughout his career attempted to emulate Webb’s masterful drumming.

Nappy Lamare became famous for his occasional vocals with Bob Crosbys Bobcats and, although he rarely soloed, he appeared on many hot recording sessions. Lamare was part of the very viable jazz scene in 1920's New Orleans.. Lamare, who made his recording debut with John Hymans Bayou Stompers in 1927, went up North and joined Ben Pollack in 1930. When Pollack's band was taken over by Bob Crosby in 1935, Lamare was part of the personnel, staying with Crosby until 1942 and appearing on scores of recordings.. Lamare settled in Los Angeles where he was a part of the local dixieland scene for decades. During 1945-50 Lamare led sessions for Capitol, Mercury, Dixieland Jubilee and a full Lp (put out by Fairmont) that documented live appearances from 1947. In later years Lamare often had reunions with Crosby and frequently co-led a dixieland band with Ray Bauduc.. Although he rarely ever soloed and his vocals are today rather dated, Nappy Lamare remains a famous name in dixieland circles.

Nick LaRocca

The founder and leader of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Nick LaRocca did much to help popularize jazz during the band's existence although he hurt his own cause decades later by claiming to have been one of jazz's main originators. LaRocca, who had a good tone but was not a major improviser, was self-taught. The band became quite popular in Chicago and then caused a sensation in New York in 1917 when the opened at Reisenweber's. They became the first jazz band to ever record and, although their style seems very primitive today (playing all ensembles with no solos, and lots of repetition from chorus to chorus with LaRocca largely sticking to the melody), they were light years ahead of all of the other bands that had previously recorded. Their "Livery Stable Blues" (which found the horn players emulating bandyard animals) was a major hit, many of the band's songs (including "Original Dixieland One Step," "At the Jazz Band Ball," "Clarinet Marmalade," "Jazz Me Blues," "Fidgety Feet" and "Tiger Rag") became standards and their visit to London during 1919-20 helped introduce jazz to Europe, causing another sensation overseas.

Born as Salvatore Massaro in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 25th. 1902.
Eddie Lang was the first truly significant guitarrist in jazz. He actually began playing violin, but was familiar with what was to become his main instrument because of his fathers’ work as a guitar maker. In his youth, Lang became acquainted with Joe Venuti, and they formed a team of exceptional quality. After working in bands in his home town and in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Lang joined the Mound City Blue Blowers. Later, he and Venuti joined the Wolfe Kahn band. Later they formed their own band and later still, worked with Paul Whiteman.
After leaving Whiteman, Lang became Bing Crosby’s accompanist and, in fact, Crosby’s recording contract stipulated that Lang must always be present on his singing dates. Up until Lang came along, the guitar was thought of a strictly a rhythm instrument. Lang’s playing opened the way for the guitar as a melodious solo voice.

Yank Lawson

Peggy Lee

 Peggy Lee Born as Norma Delores Egstrm on May 26th, 1920, in Jamestown, N. Dakota, she began singing on radio at the age of 16. While working in Palm Springs, California later on, she was heard by Benny Goodman who signed her on. She made her first record with Goodman in 1941 and appeared with the band in several films.

Jack Lesberg

A premier bassist of the postwar era, Jack Lesberg's rock-solid and versatile playing supported a who's-who of jazz giants including Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Billy Holiday. Lesberg first studied violin and earned notoriety on the Beantown club scene. He moved permanently to double bass in the late 1930s and landed with Muggsy Spanier’s band in 1940. After surviving the November 28, 1942 nightclub fire that killed 492 patrons at Boston's Coconut Grove, Lesberg relocated to New York in 1943 and hired on with Eddie Condon the following year. In 1945, he began a three-year stint playing on record with everyone from Coleman Hawkins to Sarah Vaughan. In 1956, he toured Australia, England and Africa behind Louis Armstrong and the following year he supported Jack Teagarden and Earl Hines during their trek across Europe. He toured Europe several more times during the 1980s with the Tribute to Louis Armstrong group and served in 1986 with Goodman’s last band, but his pace slowed in the years to follow. After a long bout with Alzheimer's disease, Lesberg died at a convalescent home in Englewood, New Jersey on September 17, 2005.

GEORGE LEWIS

George Lewis was born in New Orleans on July 13th, 1900 and was an entirely self-taught musician. He went to a private school and when he was eight, his mother gave him 25 cents to buy a toy fiddle. But instead, George purchased a tin flute for 10 cents and, as he said, he drove his mother crazy for about four days. After that, he started to play better and better and when he was about 16 he bought a broken down clarinet at a pawn shop on South Rampart street for four dollars. Lewis fixed it up and began playing some simple tunes. Before long, he was playing with some of the best in and around New Orleans--for parades and funerals, picnics, parties and dances, and gospel music. In 1944, when his first recordings were made, George Lewis was already 44 years old and the reason is that Lewis, unlike Louis Armstrong and others, did not move north but preferred to stay in his native New Orleans. And record companies did  not come south to preserve this great music on wax. Yet, within a decade Lewis was touring throughout the country, and took his band to the orient three times and throughout Europe. He became the standard-bearer of New Orleans music abroad and during the 1950's and 60's he became the most recorded of any musician in New Orleans, making over sixty L.P.'s.  Especially in Europe, Lewis became the idol of many young clarinetists.  On December 31, 1968, at the age of 68, George Lewis died. Three days later, musicians and friends from all over the country came to pay their last repects.
They did this in honor of the man who, with the exception of Louis Armstrong, most represented New Orleans jazz to the rest of the world.

One of the three great boogie-woogie pianists (along with Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson) whose appearance at John Hammonds 1938 Spirituals to Swing concert helped start the boogie-woogie craze, Meade "Lux" Lewis was a powerful if somewhat limited player. He played regularly in Chicago in the late '20s and his one solo record of the time, "Honky Tonk Train Blues" (1927), was considered a classic. However, other than a few sides backing little-known blues singers, Lewis gained little extra work and slipped into obscurity. John Hammond heard Lewis' record in 1935 and, after a search, found Lewis washing cars for a living in Chicago. Soon, Lewis was back on records and after the 1938, concert he was able to work steadily,

Ted Lewis

Theodore Leopold Friedman, better known as Ted Lewis was an entertainer, bandleader, singer, and musician. He led a band presenting a combination of jazz, , hokey comedy, and schmaltzy sentimentality that was a hit with the American public. He was known by the moniker "Mr. Entertainment". Born in Circleville, Ohio, , Lewis was one of the first Northern musicians to start imitating the New Orleans jazz musicians who came up to New York in the teens. He first recorded in 1917 with Earl Fuller's Jass Band, who were making an energetic if somewhat clumsy attempt to copy the sound of the city's newest sensation, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. At the time, Lewis didn't seem to be able to do much on the clarinet other than trill. (Promoting one recording the Victor catalog stated:"The sounds as of a dog in his dying anguish are from Ted Lewis' clarinet"). He improved a bit later, forming his style from the influences of the first New Orleans clarinetists to reside in New York.

Jimmy Lunceford was born in Fulton, Mississippi on June 6th, 1902. He studied under Wilberforce, Whiteman—the father of Paul Whiteman, and later got his degree in music at Fisk University. Lunceford was multi-talented on many instruments, although preferring Alto saxophone. He worked briefly in New York in several bands before taking teaching post in Memphis, Tennessee where he formed a band with such later notables as bass-man Moses Allen. Pianist Willie ‘the lion’ Smith’, and drummer Jimmy Crawford. The band went on tour and became very popular, and, in 1929, Lunceford decided to make that his full time activity. Broadcasts and more tours followed, and Lunceford made some of most successful black band records of the swing era. Among his arrangers was Sy Oliver who helped the band sky rocket to national popularity. Lunceford was mainly responsible for the showmanship that crept into big band performances. He passed away in Denver, Colorado in 1947 at the age of 45.

Humphrey Lyttleton