Jimmy Wyble
Encyclopedia
James Otis Wyble was an American guitarist, noted for his contributions to both jazz
and Western swing
. He was born in Port Arthur, Texas
and died in Los Angeles, California
.
Wyble played country music
in the early 1940s with fellow guitarist Cameron Hill on local Houston radio. He was playing in Foreman Phillips's band when Bob Wills
hired him and Hill to play in his group, the Texas Playboys. He served in the Army
from 1942 to 1946, and returned to work with Western swing groups into the 1950s.
In 1953, he released his first record as a bandleader, The Jimmy Wyble Quintet. The album featured accordion
, clarinet
, guitar, bass, and drums. That same year, he recorded with Barney Kessel
. Soon after he played in the bands of Benny Goodman
and Red Norvo
; with Norvo he toured Australia
backing Frank Sinatra
.
Wyble's output decreased in the 1960s and 1970s, playing mainly as a session musician
in Los Angeles
. In 1977 he recorded an album entitled Jimmy Wyble & Love Brothers, which featured neither a musician nor an ensemble called "Love Brothers". During this time Wyble played on TV shows such as The Flip Wilson Show
and Kraft Music Hall
, and studied classical guitar with Laurindo Almeida
. Wyble also taught others; among his students were Howard Roberts
, Steve Lukather
and Larry Koonse. Wyble played guitar on movie soundtracks, including The Wild Bunch
, Ocean's Eleven
, Woody Allen's "Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex", and Kings Go Forth
. He also wrote two-line contrapuntal music for guitar, and these pieces were published with the title "Classical/Country".
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...
and Western swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
. He was born in Port Arthur, Texas
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
and died in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Wyble played country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
in the early 1940s with fellow guitarist Cameron Hill on local Houston radio. He was playing in Foreman Phillips's band when Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
hired him and Hill to play in his group, the Texas Playboys. He served in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1942 to 1946, and returned to work with Western swing groups into the 1950s.
In 1953, he released his first record as a bandleader, The Jimmy Wyble Quintet. The album featured accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, 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...
, guitar, bass, and drums. That same year, he recorded with Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. Generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century, he was noted in particular for his vast knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies...
. Soon after he played in the bands of Benny Goodman
Benny 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...
and Red Norvo
Red Norvo
Red Norvo was one of jazz's early vibraphonists, known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone, marimba and later the vibraphone as viable jazz instruments...
; with Norvo he toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
backing Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
.
Wyble's output decreased in the 1960s and 1970s, playing mainly as a session musician
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...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In 1977 he recorded an album entitled Jimmy Wyble & Love Brothers, which featured neither a musician nor an ensemble called "Love Brothers". During this time Wyble played on TV shows such as The Flip Wilson Show
The Flip Wilson Show
The Flip Wilson Show is a variety show that aired in the U.S. on NBC from September 17, 1970 to June 27, 1974. The show starred American comedian Flip Wilson; the program was one of the first American television programs starring a black person in the title role to become highly successful with a...
and Kraft Music Hall
Kraft Music Hall
The Kraft Music Hall was a popular variety program, featuring top show business entertainers, which aired on NBC radio and television from 1933 to 1971....
, and studied classical guitar with Laurindo Almeida
Laurindo Almeida
Laurindo Almeida was a Brazilian virtuoso guitaristand composer who made many recordings of enduring impact in classical, jazz and Latin genres...
. Wyble also taught others; among his students were Howard Roberts
Howard Roberts
Howard Roberts was an American jazz guitarist, educator and session musician.-Biography:Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and began playing guitar at age 8. By the time he was 15 he was playing professionally locally....
, Steve Lukather
Steve Lukather
Steve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...
and Larry Koonse. Wyble played guitar on movie soundtracks, including The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch is a 1969 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah about an aging outlaw gang on the Texas-Mexico border, trying to exist in the changing "modern" world of 1913...
, Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (1960 film)
Ocean's 11 is a 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring five Rat Packers: Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop....
, Woody Allen's "Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex", and Kings Go Forth
Kings Go Forth
Kings Go Forth is a 1958 black-and-white World War II film starring Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood. The screenplay was written by Merle Miller from the novel of the same name by Joe David Brown, and the film was directed by Delmer Daves...
. He also wrote two-line contrapuntal music for guitar, and these pieces were published with the title "Classical/Country".
External links
- [ Jimmy Wyble] at Allmusic