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Roy David Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 trumpet
Trumpet

The trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest Register in the brass instrument family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC....
 player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitution
Tritone substitution

In jazz music, a tritone substitution is the use in a chord progression of a Seventh chord#The dominant seventh that is three whole step away from the original dominant seventh chord....
s, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie [/g?'l?spi/] was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer. He was born in Cheraw, South Carolina, the youngest of nine children....
 mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the Swing Era
Swing Era

The Swing Era was the period of time when big band swing music was the most popular music in United States. Though the music has been around since the late 1920s and early 1930s, being played by Black bands led by such artists as Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson, most his...
 and a precursor of bebop
Bebop

Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. It was developed in the early and mid-1940s....
.

idge was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania with a population of 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is 2,462,571....
 and originally played drums, trumpet and tuba.






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Roy David Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 trumpet
Trumpet

The trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest Register in the brass instrument family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC....
 player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitution
Tritone substitution

In jazz music, a tritone substitution is the use in a chord progression of a Seventh chord#The dominant seventh that is three whole step away from the original dominant seventh chord....
s, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie [/g?'l?spi/] was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer. He was born in Cheraw, South Carolina, the youngest of nine children....
 mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the Swing Era
Swing Era

The Swing Era was the period of time when big band swing music was the most popular music in United States. Though the music has been around since the late 1920s and early 1930s, being played by Black bands led by such artists as Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson, most his...
 and a precursor of bebop
Bebop

Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. It was developed in the early and mid-1940s....
.

Biography

Eldridge was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania with a population of 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is 2,462,571....
 and originally played drums, trumpet and tuba. He led bands from his early years, moving to St. Louis, and then to New York. He absorbed the influence of saxophonists Benny Carter
Benny Carter

Bennett Lester Carter was an United States jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King ....
 and Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins

Coleman Randolph Hawkins , nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was a prominent jazz Tenor saxophone.He is commonly regarded as the first important and influential jazz musician to use the instrument: Joachim E....
, setting himself the task of learning Hawkins 1926 solo on "The Stampede" in developing an equivalent trumpet style.

Eldridge played in various bands in New York in the early 1930s, as well as making records and radio broadcasts under his own name. His rhythmic power to swing a band was a dynamic trademark of the jazz of the time. It has been said that "from the mid-Thirties onwards, he had superseded Louis Armstrong as the exemplar of modern 'hot' trumpet playing".

Eldridge was very versatile on his horn, not only quick and articulate with the low to middle registers, but the high registers as well. The high register lines that Eldridge employed were one of many prominent features of his playing, another being blasts of rapid double time
Double Time

Double Time was a United Kingdom one-off comedy drama starring James Dreyfus. It received its premier in the United Kingdom on ITV at 9pm on Monday 31 December 2007....
 notes followed by a return to standard time. These stylistic points were heavy influences on Dizzy Gillespie, who, along with Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker

Charles Parker, Jr. was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.Parker is widely considered one of the most influential of jazz musicians, along with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington....
, brought bebop into existence. Eldridge participated in some of the early jam sessions at Minton's Playhouse
Minton's Playhouse

Minton?s Playhouse is a jazz club and bar located on the first floor of the Hotel Cecil at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem. Minton?s was founded by tenor saxophonist Henry Minton in 1938....
. A careful listening to BeBop standards, such as the song BeBop, will reveal how much Eldridge influenced this genre of Jazz.

In May 1941 Eldridge joined Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa

Gene Krupa was an influentialUnited States jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style....
's Orchestra, and was successfully featured with rookie singer Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day

Anita O'Day was an United States jazz singer. Jazz Critic Will Friedwald has said ?When you think of the great jazz singers, I would think that Anita is the only white woman that belongs in the same breath as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.?...
 on a series of recordings including the novelty hit "Let Me Off Uptown". However, Eldridge complained that O'Day was upstaging him and the band broke up after Krupa was jailed for marijuana possession in July 1943. Eldridge then joined Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw

Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an United States jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest jazz clarinetists of his time....
's band.

In the postwar years, he became part of the group which toured under the Jazz at the Philharmonic
Jazz at the Philharmonic

Jazz at the Philharmonic or JATP was the title of a series of concerts and recordings produced by Norman Granz . The very first concert was held on July 2, 1944 at Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, and featured Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea, J....
 banner. He became one of the stalwarts of the group. Its producer Norman Granz
Norman Granz

Norman Granz was an American jazz music impresario and producer. Born in Los Angeles, son of Jewish immigrants from Tiraspol, Granz was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960....
 said that Roy Eldrige typified the spirit of jazz. "Every time he's on he does the best he can, no matter what the conditions are. And Roy is so intense about everything, so that it's far more important to him to dare, to try to achieve a particular peak, even if he falls on his ass in the attempt, than it is to play safe. That's what jazz is all about."

Eldridge moved to Paris for a time, before returning to New York, where he worked with Coleman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as "Jazz royalty" and the "First Lady of Song", is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century....
 and Earl "Fatha" Hines
Earl Hines

Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl "Fatha" Hines, was "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz"....
 among others. In 1971, Eldridge was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame
Down Beat

Down Beat is an United States magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years....
. After a stroke in 1980, he continued performing on other instruments for the remainder of his life.

Discography

  • The Big Band of Little Jazz (Topaz, 1935-1945)with Dickie Wells, Benny Goodman, Benny Carter
    Benny Carter

    Bennett Lester Carter was an United States jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King ....
    , Teddy Wilson
    Teddy Wilson

    Theodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson was a Jazz piano from the United States of America born in Austin, Texas. His sophisticated and elegant style graced the records of many of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald....
    , Gene Krupa, John Kirby
    John Kirby

    John Kirby is the name of several persons:* John Kirby , Canadian businessman & politician* John Kirby , American jazz musician* John Kirby , Irish bishop...
  • After You’ve Gone (Decca Records
    Decca Records

    Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
    /GRP, 1936-1946) with Ike Quebec
    Ike Quebec

    Ike Abrams Quebec was a jazz tenor saxophone. His surname is pronounced KYOO-bek.Critic Alex Henderson writes, "Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression."...
    , Cecil Payne
    Cecil Payne

    Cecil Payne was a jazz baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, NY. Payne also played the alto saxophone and flute. He played with other jazz greats, in particular Dizzy Gillespie and Randy Weston, in addition to his solo work as bandleader....
    , Billy Taylor
    Billy Taylor

    Billy Taylor is an United States jazz pianist, composer, and educator. He is currently the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina....
    , Sahib Shihab
    Sahib Shihab

    Sahib Shihab was a jazz saxophonist and flautist....
    , Wilbur De Paris
    Wilbur de Paris

    Wilbur de Paris was a trombone player and band leader, especially known for mixing New Orleans jazz style with Swing . Paris had a brother who was also a musician, Sidney De Paris....
  • Heckler’s Hop (Hep, 1936-1939) with Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Helen Ward
    Helen Ward

    Helen Ward may refer to:* Helen Ward , American singer of swing ballads* Helen Ward , London-based divorce lawyer...
  • Roy Eldridge 1943-1944 (Classics); 1945-1947 (Classics)
  • Nuts (Disques Vogue
    Disques Vogue

    Disques Vogue was founded in France in 1947 in music, the same year that the USA Vogue closed shop. They originally specialized in jazz recordings, featuring such artists as Sidney Bechet, Django Reinhardt, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, and Errol Garner....
    , 1950) with Zoot Sims
    Zoot Sims

    John Haley "Zoot" Sims was an United States jazz tenor saxophonist and soprano saxophonist.He was born in Inglewood, California, California. Growing up in a vaudeville family, Sims learned to play both Drum kit and clarinet at an early age....
    , Dick Hyman
    Dick Hyman

    Dick Hyman is an American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer best known for his versatility with jazz piano styles. Over a 50 year career he has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and, increasingly, as composer....
    , Pierre Michelot
    Pierre Michelot

    Pierre Michelot was a France bebop and hard bop double bass player.Born in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, Michelot studied piano from 1936 until 1938, but switched to playing bass at the age of sixteen....
  • French Cooking (Vogue, 1950-51) with Raymond Fol, Barney Spieler
  • Roy and Diz (Verve, 1954) with Dizzy Gillespie, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
  • The Nifty Cat (New World) with Budd Johnson, Benny Morton, Nat Pierce
    Nat Pierce

    Nat Pierce was an United States jazz jazz piano and arranger born in Somerville, Massachusetts, perhaps best-known for being pianist and arranger for the Woody Herman band from 1951-1955....
  • Oscar Peterson & Roy Eldridge
  • Roy Eldridge in Paris (Vogue, 1950/51)
  • The Complete Verve Roy Eldridge Studio Sessions by Roy Eldridge (Verve-Kompilation)
  • Roy Eldridge and Oscar Peterson (OJC, 1974) Duo-Aufnahmen
  • Litle Jazz and the Jimmy Ryan All-Stars (Pablo, 1975) with Dick Katz
    Dick Katz

    Dick Katz is an United States jazz pianist and music arranger. He has freelanced throughout much of his career, and worked in a number of ensembles....
     und Major Holley
    Major Holley

    Major Holley was an American jazz upright bassist.Holley played violin and tuba when young and started playing bass while serving in the U.S....
  • Happy Time (Pablo, 1975) with Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Eddie Locke
  • R.E./Dizzy Gillespie with the Oscar Peterson Quartet: Jazz Maturity - Where It’s Coming From (Pablo, 1975)
  • The Trumpet Kings at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975 (Pablo) with Dizzy Gillespie und Clark Terry
  • The Tatum Goup Masterpieces with Art Tatum
    Art Tatum

    Arthur Tatum Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso.With an exuberant style that combined dazzling technique and sophisticated use of harmony, Art Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time....
    , John Simmons (Bass) und Alvin Stoller (Drums) 1955, Pablo 1975
  • What is All About (OJC, 176) with Milt Jackson, Budd Johnson
  • Montreux 1977 (Pablo(OJC, 1977) with Oscar Peterson, Niels Henning Oersted Pederson, Bobby Durham
    Bobby Durham

    Bobby Durham may refer to:*Bobby Durham , American jazz drummer*Bobby Durham , American country singer*Robert D. Durham...
  • Roy Eldridge & Vic Dickenson
    Vic Dickenson

    Vic Dickenson was an African-American jazz trombonist. Dickenson's career started out in the 1920s and led him through musical partnerships with such legends as Count Basie , Sidney Bechet and Earl Hines ....
     (Storyville Records
    Storyville Records

    Storyville Records is a Denmark based record label founded in 1950 in music by Karl Emil Knudsen, a jazz record collector, then working for the Copenhagen telephone company....
    , 1978 with Tommy Flanagan
    Tommy Flanagan

    Thomas Lee Flanagan was an United States of America jazz pianist born in Detroit, Michigan, particularly remembered as an accompanist of Ella Fitzgerald....


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