Born in New Orleans on the 13^th of February, 1900. He lost his right arm
in an auto accident while still a child (he had been ‘winged’—hence the nickname ‘Wingy’) He took up trumpet playing nevertheless, and turned professional in his teens. Manone worked with many riverboat and territory bands, and visited St. Louis where he made his first records in 1924. He moved on to New York in 1929 to record with Benny Goodman and then he settled down in Chicago. Manone led his own band in nightclubs and then took it to New York for a string of successful engagements. In the early 40’s he was in California and became a regular on the Bing Crosby radio show as well as performing at concerts and recording dates with Sidney Bechet and others.
Manone played trumpet with a forthright, honest style..with his love for
the New Orleans tradition and the playing of Louis Armstrong who he admired above all.

Joe Marsala

Was born in Chicago on January 4th, 1907. After playing clarinet locally, his first big job was with Wingy Manone in 1929. In 1935 he played and
recorded with Adrian Rollini’s Tap Room Gang in New York and then
took over Manone’s band at the Hickory House when Manone retired.
Marsala was one of the first band leaders to form a racially mixed band which included Henry Red Allen. During the forties, Marsala’s big bands included not only swing era veterans, but also younger musicians making the transition to be-bop and mainstream jazz—Buddy Rich, Charlie Byrd and Shelley Manne. Marsala was also instrumental in giving a career boost to singer Frankie Laine. After 1947, Marsala spent his time as a song writerm and music publisher, but continued to accompany several stars on recording dates—Tony Bennett and Bobby Hackett. Marsala left some very good recordings behind featuring his Jimmy Noone inspired clarinet pieces.

Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis was born in New Orleans on October 18th, 1961. He took up trumpet at the age of six, encouraged by his father, a pianist, composer and teacher.
He was already studying formally in his pre-teens and his range took in everything from performing with a New Orleans marching band to playing trumpet concertos with the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra. By the age of 19 he was already a vituoso trumpeter. Marsalis turned to post-be-bop with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and toured and recorded with Blakey and with Herbie Hancock. In jazz, his sublime technical ability places Marsalis on a plateau higher than most performers ever reach.

Dave McKenna

Was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island on May 30th, 1930, He played
piano at the age of seven and taught himself to play jazz through radio
and records. He Joined Charlie Ventura in 1949 and worked with Woody
Herman in 1950. McKenna then went to Korea until 1953 and spent the
rest of the decade playing with Gene Krupa, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and
Charlie Ventura. During the sixties McKenna worked with Eddie Condon
and Bobby Hackett. By the late sixties he was on the international
circuit, touring and recording with Bob Wilber and Pug Horton, and in
the ‘80’s played in festivals with the Concord Super band along with
such talents as Scott Hamilton and Warren Vache’. As George Shearing
described Dave McKenna: "He’s the hardest-swinging of them all".

Jimmy McPartland

Jimmy McPartland was born in Chicago on March 15th, 1907
and began playing cornet while in high school in Chicago.
He became a founder of the Austin High School gang—an
almost legendary jazz group, and of the Blue Friars. At 17, he
replaced Bix Beiderbecke in the Wolverines, and two years later
joined Art Kassel’s band. In 1927, McPartland went to work for
Ben Pollack for two years and then freelanced with numerous small
bands. He also played many record dates until World War Two .
Following World War Two, McPartland returned to playing in
small dixieland bands and toured many countries. In the mid-eighties
McPartland was still going strong..appearing at such prestigeous events
as the Nice Jazz Festival in France. He was fiery, exuberant cornetist,
with an elegance reflecting his greatest influence—Bix Beiderbecke.

Miff Mole

Irving Milfred Mole was born in Roosevelt, Long Islan, N.Y. on March 11th,
He had settled on the trombone in his teens, and played extensively in and around New York with many small early jazz bands—including one led by the famous comedian Jimmy Durante. He was also a member of the original Memphis Five led by Phil Mapoleon. In the mid-twenties, Mole became a close friend and associate of Red Nichols with whom he made many records. In 1938 he joined Paul Whiteman and in the early 40’s he began teaching, working for Benny Goodman, and leading his own bands at night clubs in New York and Chicago. Although overshadowed by his contemporaries like Jack Teagarden and Tommy Dorsey, Miff Mole played an important role in the development of Jazz Trombone, influencing its rise from a corny nonsence instrument to a serious one, capable of producing tasteful, melodic jazz solos.
Miff Mole died in April, 1961.

Oscar Moore:

Was born on December 25th, 1912, in Austin, Texas. He formed his
first band with his brother Johnny (also a guitarrist) while still in
his teens. In 1937 he became a member of the Nat King Cole Trio.
And was an important factor in the group’s success. Moore was an
exceptionally gifted soloist and an accompanist of rare distinction.
His recordings with Nat King Cole are proof of this and jazz experts
regret that Moore dropped out of music far too early.

Benny Moten

Benny Moten was born in Kansas City, Missouri on November 13th, 1894. In his youth he gained a great reputation as a pianist in his home town and by 1920 he had become an established and respected band leader. Moten deftly blended New Orleans style music into the free-wheeling jazz of the mid-west, and he attracted many outstanding musicians from other bands—men like Count Basie, Oran ‘Hot lips’ Page, Eddie Durham and Jimmy Rushing. Eventually even Walter Page went along as well as Ben Webster and Lester Young. By the mid-thirties his band was not only the finest in the region, but superior to many headline bands in the east. Benny Moten died suddenly and tragically in 1935 during a tonsilectomy. The surgeon’s knife slipped and severed his jugular vein.

Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan was born in New York City on April 6th, 1927, and
grew up in Philadelphia. He started out on piano before concentrating
on arranging, and then took up the saxophone—first alto and then baritone.
His arrangements were used by name bands such as Gene Krupa’s
and Claude Thornhill’s, and Mulligan also played in those bands occasionally-
In 1948, he joined Gil Evans and Miles Davis, and played Baritone sax
almost exclusively by this time. In the early fifties Mulligan led his own
groups, but continued to arrange on a free-lance basis—for Stan Kenton
to name one big band. Mulligan earned wide-spread popularity when he joined Chet Baker to form a quartet, and, in 1953 he led other quartets,
notably with Bob Brookmeyer. He also played with Dave Brubeck,
Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, Johnny Hodges, Zoot Sims and
Thelonious Monk. Gerry Mulligan’s strength lay in scoring and improvising
jazz in a low-key, subdued manner— always retaining a rich, melodic quality.

TURK MURPHY:

Born in Palermo, California on December 16th, 1915. In the late thirties,
the trombonist joined the dixieland revival band led by Lu Watters, and
remained there for the next decade. After leaving thet band—the "Yerba Buena Jazz band", Murphy formed his own group and opened a club in San Fransisco.
As an always raucous, entertaining player, Turk Murphy was one of the key figures in boosting public interest in traditional jazz in an area where other styles of music were favored—on the West Coast.

Willis ‘Ray’ Nance

Was born in Chicago on December 10th, 1913. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, he studied formally for several years and played in various small bands, mostly in the Chicago area. By the early thirties he was a popular local entertainer, leading his own bands, playing several
instruments—including trumpet and violin, as well as singing, dancing and performing comedy routines. The same decade saw Nance playing in the big Chicago bands led by Fatha Hines and Horace Henderson. Nance joined Duke Ellington in 1940 and quickly became an integral part of the organization. Hardly without a break, Nance stayed with
Ellington until 1963. From 1964 until his death in 1976, Nance led his own small bands, but returned regularly as a guest with Ellington’s band.

Red Nichols

Was born as Ernest Loring Nichols in Ogden, Utah on May 8th, 1905.
Taught by his father, Nichols quickly became a highly accomplished
performer. Strongly influenced by early white bands, particularly by
Bix Beiderbecke, he moved to New York in the early twenties and
was soon one of the busiest musicians in town. He recorded hundreds
of tracks under many different names, but favored the name "The five pennies."
Nichols engaged the cream of the crop on white musicians of the day—
Miff Mole, Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Benny Goodman, Pee
Wee Russell and Jack Teagarden. Nichols remained enormously successful.
Continuing to lead bands and to record until the outbreak of world war Two.
Nichols returned to perform for a brief spell with Glen Gray’s orchestra.
Nichols was a polished player with a silvery tone and a bold attacking style.
The movie, "The Five Pennies" starring Danny Kaye gave his career a
boost, and he was as busy as ever during the last few years of his life in the 60’s. Nichols died in 1965.

Jimmy Noone

Jimmy Noone was born in Cut off, Louisiana on April 23^rd, 1895. He first played guitar and then switched to clarinet. In the years just before World War One he played in New Orleans bans led by notables such as Freddie Keppard and Buddy Petit, and in 1918 went to Chicago to work for Joe King Oliver and, two years later, for Doc Cook. In 1926 Noone took his own band in Chicago’s Apex Club where he enjoed a remarkable period of continued creativity.
Noone became the idol of up and coming young musicians, both black and white. Noone made records with King Oliver and Doc Cook, and now embarked on another series of recordings. In the early forties he moved to Los Angeles where he worked with Kid Ory, led his own band, and appeared as a member of the New Orleans All Stars on Orson Wells weekly radio show. He also played with the Capitol Jazzmen. One of the most important New Orleans clarinetists,
Noone had a masterful technique and played with a deep appreciation of the blues. His recordings stand as milestones in the history of jazz.

Red Norvo

Kenneth Norville was born in Beardstown. Illinois on March 31st, 1908.
After playing with a marimba band, Norvo was hired by Paul Whiteman
in the late 20’s. He played xylophone with that band and was called
upon to deliver novelty effects. While with Whiteman, Norvo married
the popular singer, Mildred Bailey. In 1933 the two went to New York
and started a career together which became billed as "Mr. And Mrs.
Swing." During the 30’s, Norvo played with many leading musicians of
the day, and in the 40’s joined Benny Goodman where he switched to
vibraphone. That same decade, he worked with leading bop musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, and in 1945 became a member of
Woody Herman’s first herd. The 1980’s saw Norvo engaged in a series of
world wide tours as a solo artist, performing with Benny Carter and
Tal Farlow.

O’Day, Anita

Anita O’Day was born as Anita Colton on October 18th, 1919 in Kansas City
Missouri. She scraped a living as a professional marathon dancer in her early teens—at which time she changed her name to O’Day. She was engaged to sing with Erskine Tate’s orchestra and switched to singing entirely. When Gene Krupa heard her at a Chicago Club, he promised to hire her if he ever had an opening, and he eventually did in 1941. O’Day’s real breakthrough came when she joined Stan Kenton’s orchestra in 1943.

SY OLIVER: