Musician. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, he was a jazz trombonist noted as one of the first artists to embrace bebop music. He started his career in the 1940s big band swing era, playing with artists to include Clarence Love, Snookum Russell, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. During the 1950s, he had many collaborations with different artists, recorded for Savoy Records and toured internationally. As a composer, he produced his solo albums "Perceptions" (1961), "J.J.'s Broadway" (1963) and performed at the First International Jazz Festival in Washington D.C. Through the 1970s, he scored music for feature films, television and a recorded a few albums as a sideman with Count Basie. Retuning to performing in the mid 1980s, he toured the United States, Europe and Japan. In 1992, he signed a contract with Verve Records which resulted in five albums as a solo artist and as a band leader, for small groups to separate brass orchestra and string orchestra recordings. He retired from active performing and touring in late 1996, but remained active as a composer until his death from suicide at age 77.
Musician. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, he was a jazz trombonist noted as one of the first artists to embrace bebop music. He started his career in the 1940s big band swing era, playing with artists to include Clarence Love, Snookum Russell, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. During the 1950s, he had many collaborations with different artists, recorded for Savoy Records and toured internationally. As a composer, he produced his solo albums "Perceptions" (1961), "J.J.'s Broadway" (1963) and performed at the First International Jazz Festival in Washington D.C. Through the 1970s, he scored music for feature films, television and a recorded a few albums as a sideman with Count Basie. Retuning to performing in the mid 1980s, he toured the United States, Europe and Japan. In 1992, he signed a contract with Verve Records which resulted in five albums as a solo artist and as a band leader, for small groups to separate brass orchestra and string orchestra recordings. He retired from active performing and touring in late 1996, but remained active as a composer until his death from suicide at age 77.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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