Benny Morton born in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, was a jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 trombonist

Trombone

The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...

 most associated with the swing genre

Swing (genre)

Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...

. He was praised by fellow trombonist Bill Watrous

Bill Watrous

William Russell Watrous III is a jazz trombonist. He is perhaps best known by casual fans of jazz music for his rendition of Sammy Nestico's arrangement of the Johnny Mandel ballad "A Time for Love," which he recorded on a 1993 album of the same name...

 among others. One of his first jobs was working with Clarence Holiday

Clarence Holiday

Clarence Halliday is an American musician and the probable father of singer, Billie Holiday.-Early life:...

, and he appeared with Clarence's daughter Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...

 towards the end of her life on The Sound of Jazz

The Sound of Jazz

"The Sound of Jazz" is a 1957 edition of the CBS television series Seven Lively Arts, and was one of the first major programmes featuring jazz to air on American network television....

. In the 1960s he was part of the Jazz Giants band: "Wild" Bill Davison (cornet), Herb Hall

Herb Hall

Herbert "Herb" Hall was an American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist.Herb was the brother of Edmond Hall and the son of clarinetist Edward Hall. He began on banjo with the Niles Jazz Band , then settled on reeds. In 1926 he played with Kid Augustin Victor in Baton Rouge, and moved to New...

 (clarinet and alto), Claude Hopkins

Claude Hopkins

Claude Driskett Hopkins was an American jazz stride pianist and bandleader.-Biography:Claude Hopkins was born in Alexandria, Virginia in 1903. Historians differ in respect of the actual date of his birth. His parents were on the faculty of Howard University...

 (piano), Arvell Shaw

Arvell Shaw

Arvell Shaw was an American jazz double-bassist, best known for his work with Louis Armstrong....

 (bass) and Buzzy Drootin

Buzzy Drootin

Benjamin "Buzzy" Drootin was a legendary jazz drummer. He played with some of the greatest leading jazz musicians for over sixty years....

 (drums). They toured the U.S. and frequently in Canada where they did some recording for Sackville Records

Sackville Records

Sackville Records is a Canadian music record label. Although the label has been used to issue material in various styles, the company particularly specializes in jazz music. Most of the company's releases have been newly recorded in Canada....

. Towards the end of the 60's he played with an offshoot of the Jazz Giants under the leadership of Drootin, called Buzzy's Jazz Family, with Herman Autrey

Herman Autrey

Herman Autrey was an American jazz trumpeter.Autrey was born into a musical family, and began on alto horn before taking up trumpet as a teenager and gigging locally in Pittsburgh and Florida. After some time in Florida he worked in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City, where he...

 replacing Davison, Buzzy's nephew Sonny Drootin replacing Hopkins, and Eddie Gibbs

Eddie Gibbs

Eddie Gibbs is an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bassist.Gibbs began his career late in the 1920s, playing with Wilbur Sweatman, Eubie Blake, and Billy Fowler. As a banjoist he was strongly influenced by Elmer Snowden. He played with Edgar Hayes from 1937 and played with him on a tour of...

 replacing Shaw. That stated he is probably best known for his work with Count Basie

Count Basie

William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...

 and Fletcher Henderson

Fletcher Henderson

James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast...

.

On February 23, 1934, Morton led a single, outstanding session of 4 songs that were issued under his own name (Benny Morton & His Orchestra). Made up mostly of member of Fletcher Henderson's and Don Redman's band, they included:

Henry Allen-trumpet/Benny Morton-trombone/Edward Inge

Edward Inge

Edward Inge was an American jazz arranger and reedist.Inge was raised in Kansas City and played clarinet from age 12. He played with George Reynolds's Orchestra when he was 18, then worked with Dewey Jackson, Art Sims & His Creole Roof Orchestra, and Oscar Young in the 1920s...

-clarinet and alto saxophone/Jerry Blake-clarinet-alto saxophone)/Ted McRae-tenor saxophone/Don Kirkpatrick-piano/Bobby Johnson-guitar/Billy Taylor-slap bass/Manzie Johnson-drums.

• 152717-2-3 Get Goin' (vocal and arrangement by Jerry Blake) (Columbia 2902-D)
• 152718-1 Fare Thee Well To Harlem (vocal by Jerry Blake) (Columbia 2902-D)
• 152719-1 Tailor Made (arranged by Billy Taylor) (Columbia 2924-D)
• 152720-2 The Gold Digger's Song (We're In The Money) (vocal by Henry Allen) (Columbia 2924-D)+

(+ also issued on Columbia 36011, part of the early 1940's 4 record album set "Hot Trombones")

External links

• Jazz Professional Interview