Song:St. Louis Blues
Album:The Classic Years Volume 2
Jack Teagarden was known as the Father of the Jazz Trombone. He probably did more to popularize the trombone than anyone else including Glenn Miller. Teagarden was also a great singer. He was born Aug. 29, 1905 in Vernon, TX in a family of musicians. His father played trumpet and his mother played piano. Teagarden started playing trombone at age seven and began playing professionally as a teen. In the 20s, he toured with Peck Kelley's big band. Then he moved to New York in 1927. He played with various bands and could have been a big time bandleader in the 30s. But instead he signed a five year contract with Paul Whiteman in 1933 and kept Teagarden under wraps as he was exclusive to Whiteman. He did record with his brother Charlie Teagarden and Frankie Trumbauer as The Three T's but that was a Whiteman approved offshoot. Teagarden had trouble establishing himself after he left Whiteman. Bing Crosby helped him with his finances and Teagarden finally got his due when he joined Louis Armstrong's All Stars in 1947. He had tremendous chemistry with Armstrong and this was a very popular band at a time when bebop was just getting established. Teagarden also led his own band recording for RCA's Bluebird label. St. Louis Blues is from 1947. his band at the time included Max Kaminsky, Peanuts Hucko, Cliff Strickland and Gene Schroeder. You can get it on this 2CD comp from Prestige Elite. Teagarden left the Armstrong band in 1951 and though he continued to tour, his kind of jazz wasn't popular anymore in the 50s. Teagarden was on tour in New Orleans when he died of a heart attack on Jan. 15, 1964 at age 58. Here's Jack Teagarden performing St. Louis Blues.
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