Buster Bailey
Encyclopedia
William C. "Buster" Bailey (19 July 1902 – 12 April 1967) was a jazz
musician specializing in the clarinet
, but also well versed on saxophone
. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee
, Bailey was one of the most respected session players
of his era.
. Bailey got his start with W.C. Handy’s Orchestra in 1917 when he was just fifteen years old. After two years of touring with Handy, Bailey quit the orchestra while the band was in Chicago
. In 1919, Bailey joined Erskine Tate’s Vendome Orchestra
and remained with Tate until 1923 when he joined up with Joe "King" Oliver. As a member of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Bailey met and became friends with Louis Armstrong
, who was also a member of the band at that time. In 1924, Armstrong left King Oliver’s Jazz Band to join Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra
in New York. Within a month Armstrong extended an invitation for Buster Bailey to join him as a member of Henderson’s band. Bailey accepted and moved to New York City
.
with Perry Bradford
and others, and appeared on numerous recordings playing both the clarinet and the soprano saxophone
. Most notably Bailey performed on a number of Clarence Williams albums. In 1927 he left Fletcher Henderson and undertook a tour of Europe with Noble Sissle’s Orchestra
. After his return, Bailey performed with several other jazz greats, including Edgar Hayes
and Dave Nelson. He rejoined Sissle’s orchestra in 1931 and continued with the group through 1933. In 1934, Bailey was back briefly with Fletcher Henderson, but by the end of the year he had settled down as a member of the John Kirby Band
. Bailey remained a member of Kirby’s band until 1946, but that didn’t stop him from performing with other artists. In 1934 and 1935, Bailey was playing with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band
and in 1937 he was a session player for Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters
. He also recorded music during this time as Buster Bailey and His Rhythm Busters.
and performed with him until 1949. During the early 1950s Bailey was with Big Chief Russell Moore
, but for most of the decade Bailey played with Henry "Red" Allen
. From 1961 to 1963 he performed with Wild Bill Davison
. Bailey was with the Saints And Sinners from 1963 to 1964, and in 1965 he rejoined his old friend Armstrong and became a member of Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars.
Buster Bailey died in April 1967 of a heart attack. He was living in Brooklyn
, New York, at the time.
(1965), again as a musician.
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...
musician specializing in the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, but also well versed on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Bailey was one of the most respected session players
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
of his era.
Early career
Buster Bailey was a master of the clarinet and was educated on the instrument by classical teacher Franz Schoepp, the man who taught Benny GoodmanBenny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
. Bailey got his start with W.C. Handy’s Orchestra in 1917 when he was just fifteen years old. After two years of touring with Handy, Bailey quit the orchestra while the band was in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In 1919, Bailey joined Erskine Tate’s Vendome Orchestra
Erskine Tate
Erskine Tate was an American jazz violinist and bandleader.Tate moved to Chicago in 1912 and was an early figure on the Chicago jazz scene, playing with his band, the Vendome Orchestra, at the Vendome Theater, which was located at 31st and State Street...
and remained with Tate until 1923 when he joined up with Joe "King" Oliver. As a member of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Bailey met and became friends with Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, who was also a member of the band at that time. In 1924, Armstrong left King Oliver’s Jazz Band to join Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra
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...
in New York. Within a month Armstrong extended an invitation for Buster Bailey to join him as a member of Henderson’s band. Bailey accepted and moved to 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...
.
Mid career
In New York during the late 1920s, Buster Bailey became a highly respected sidemanSideman
A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he or she is not a regular member. They often tour with solo acts as well as bands and jazz ensembles. Sidemen are generally required to be adaptable to many different styles of music, and so able to fit...
with Perry Bradford
Perry Bradford
Perry Bradford was an African American composer, songwriter, and vaudeville performer....
and others, and appeared on numerous recordings playing both the clarinet and the soprano saxophone
Soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
. Most notably Bailey performed on a number of Clarence Williams albums. In 1927 he left Fletcher Henderson and undertook a tour of Europe with Noble Sissle’s Orchestra
Noble Sissle
Noble Sissle was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer and playwright.-Early life:...
. After his return, Bailey performed with several other jazz greats, including Edgar Hayes
Edgar Hayes
Edgar Hayes was an American jazz pianist and bandleader.Hayes attended Wilberforce University, where he graduated with a degree in music in the early 1920s. In 1922 he toured with Fess Williams, and formed his own group, the Blue Grass Buddies, in Ohio in 1924...
and Dave Nelson. He rejoined Sissle’s orchestra in 1931 and continued with the group through 1933. In 1934, Bailey was back briefly with Fletcher Henderson, but by the end of the year he had settled down as a member of the John Kirby Band
John Kirby (musician)
John Kirby , was a jazz double-bassist who also played trombone and tuba.-Background:Kirby may have been born in Winchester, Virginia, although other sources say he was born in Baltimore, Maryland, orphaned, and adopted. Kirby hit New York at 17, but after his trombone got stolen, he switched to...
. Bailey remained a member of Kirby’s band until 1946, but that didn’t stop him from performing with other artists. In 1934 and 1935, Bailey was playing with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band
Mills Blue Rhythm Band
The Mills Blue Rhythm Band was an American big band of the 1930s.The band was formed in Harlem in 1930, with reedman Bingie Madison the first of its many leaders. It started life as the Coconut Grove Orchestra, changing to Mills Blue Rhythm Band when Irving Mills became its manager in 1931...
and in 1937 he was a session player for Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters
Midge Williams
Midge Williams was an African American swing and jazz vocalist during the 1930s and 1940s. Although not as famous as other jazz recording artists, Williams was a respected singer and her group, Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters, made several well-received recordings during the late 1930s.-Early...
. He also recorded music during this time as Buster Bailey and His Rhythm Busters.
Late career
In 1946, Buster Bailey went independent and led his own band, but his group lasted for only the year. In 1947 he joined Wilbur de ParisWilbur de Paris
Wilbur de Paris was a trombone player and band leader, especially known for mixing New Orleans jazz style with Swing.De Paris was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where his father, Sidney G...
and performed with him until 1949. During the early 1950s Bailey was with Big Chief Russell Moore
Big Chief Russell Moore
Big Chief Russell Moore was an American jazz trombonist.Moore was a Pima American Indian, and lived in Blue Island, Illinois from age twelve, where he studied trumpet, piano, drums, french horn, and trombone. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1930s, where he worked freelance with Lionel Hampton...
, but for most of the decade Bailey played with Henry "Red" Allen
Red Allen
Henry James "Red" Allen was a jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose style has been claimed to be the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armstrong.-Life and career:...
. From 1961 to 1963 he performed with Wild Bill Davison
Wild Bill Davison
Wild' Bill Davison was a fiery jazz cornet player who emerged in the 1920s, but did not achieve recognition until the 1940s...
. Bailey was with the Saints And Sinners from 1963 to 1964, and in 1965 he rejoined his old friend Armstrong and became a member of Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars.
Buster Bailey died in April 1967 of a heart attack. He was living in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, at the time.
Screen appearances
Buster Bailey appeared on film three times during his career. The first was in a film entitled That's the Spirit (1933) in which he played himself as a band member. The second was in 1961 on the television program The DuPont Show of the Week in an episode entitled "America's Music - Chicago and All That Jazz". His final appearance was with Louis Armstrong in When the Boys Meet the GirlsWhen the Boys Meet the Girls
When the Boys Meet the Girls is a 1965 American musical film, directed by Alvin Ganzer and starring Connie Francis and Harve Presnell. Guy Bolton and Jack McGowan were both uncredited in their roles as the writers for the play the film is based on.-Cast:...
(1965), again as a musician.
Scholarly resources
- Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Gove Dictionary of Jazz, vol. 1. London: Macmillan Publishers, Ltd., 2002.
- Larkin, Colin, ed. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, vol. 1. London: Macmillan Reference, Ltd., 1998.
- Panassie-Gautier, Dictionnaire du Jazz, 1972