The musicians: Billie’s companions and friends

This section is devoted to the musicians who accompanied Billie throughout her career. It’s a personal selection that include her closest friends, those who participated in more recording sessions, and some of the most respected musicians of the time. I’m sure that they all shared her passion for music. As you can hear in the recordings or see in the few videos available, Bille has always shown great respect for their talent, allowing time for their solos were they could exhibit their extraordinary talent.

The stars try to represent the artistic evaluation found in the common jazz literature. ‘Tk’ column shows the number of tracks they took part.

THE MUSICIANS
		years	tk	stars
Trumpet	Roy Eldridge	1935-44, 1956-57	44	***
	Sweets Edison	1939, 1954-59	60	*
	Charlie Shavers	1939, 1944, 1952-58	35	*
	Buck Clayton	1937-39, 1946-49, 1956-58	62	*
Alto Sax	Benny Carter	1938-40, 1955-58	39	*
	Johnny Hodges	1935-37, 1945	17	***
Tenor Sax	Lester Young	1935-46, 1955-57	67	****
	Ben Webster	1935-37, 1944,1956-57	48	**
	Paul Quinichette	1952-57	15	*
	Stan Getz	1951	4	*****
Baritone Sax	Gerry Mulligan	1957-58	12	*****
	Harry Carney	1935-37, 1945	10	***
Clarinet	Benny Goodman	1933-1939	14	****
	Artie Shaw	1936-1938	5	***
	Tony Scott	1952-1956	41	***
Trombone	Benny Morton	1938-1944	23
Piano	Teddy Wilson	1935-1942	95	*
	Jimmy Rowles	1942, 1949, 1955-57	54	*
	Count Basie	1937, 1950, 1955	6	*****
	Oscar Peterson	1952-54	24	***
	Eddie Heywood	1941, 1944	23
Guitar	Barney Kessel	1952 -1957	62
	Freddie Green	1937-40, 1950-54	48
Bass	Milt Hinton	1936-39, 1957-59	35	*
	Ray Brown	1952-54	23	*
	Walter Page	1937-1940	48
Drums	Jo Jones	1937-39, 1957	37	*
	Cozy Cole	1935-39, 1945, 1954	72	*
	Kenny Clarke	1940-1946	11	*
	J.C. Heard	1940-1946	19	*

Roy Eldridge	***	Trumpet
David Roy “Little Jazz” Eldridge	Recording years	1935-44, 1956-7
Pittsburgh 1911 – NY 1989	Number of tracks	44

Roy Eldridge was a long time partner to Billie, having recorded 44 tracks in 22 years.

Selected tracks:

MT 5 Miss Brown To You (1935)

MT 108 What Shall I Say? (1939)

MT 136 Time On My Hands (1940)

LR 162 Lady Sings The Blues (1956)

 

Sweets Edison	*	Trumpet
Harry Edison	Recording years	1939, 1954-9
Columbus 1915 – 1999	Number of tracks	60

Sweets Edison recorded most of his tracks with Billie in the later years, including her last studio session. An exception was a sole session where he shared the trumpets with Buck Clayton (see) still in the Vocalion years. He was at the time with Count Basie Orchestra (see), where Lester Young (see) that nicknamed him “Sweets”.

Selected tracks:

MT 126 The Man I Love (1939) together with Buck Clayton

MT 243 Love Me Or Leave Me (1954)

MT 281 Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me (1956)

MT 330 Baby Won’t You Please Come Home (1959)

 

Charlie Shavers	*	Trumpet
Charlie James Shavers	Recording years	1939, 1944, 1952-58
NYC 1920 – 1971	Number of tracks	35

Charlie Shavers recorded most of the tracks in the 50s, and only exceptionally in live sessions.

Selected Tracks:

MT 106 That’s All I Ask Of You (1939)

MT 219 East Of The Sun (1952)

MT 230 Tenderly (1952)

MT 252 I Wished On The Moon (1955)

 

Buck Clayton	*	Trumpet
Wilbur Dorsey Clayton	Recording years	1937-9, 1946-9, 1956-8
Kansas 1911 – NYC 1991	Number of tracks	62

Buck Clayton followed Billie along her career, with few intervals. From 1955 on, only in live sessions. He was a close friend to Billie and she always referred to Buck as one of the most handsome men she knew, although, it seems, they never had an affair.

Selected Tracks

MT 43 Why Was I Born (1937)

LR 2 They Can’t Take That From Me (1937)

MT 93 I Can´t Get Started (1938) in a duet with Lester

LR 203 When Your Lover Has Gone (1958)

 

Benny Carter	*	Alto Sax
Bennett Lester Carter	Recording years	1938-40, 1955-8
NYC 1907 – LA 2003	Number of tracks	39
(exceptionally, he played also tenor sax and clarinet)

Benny Carter and Johnny Hodges (see below) were considered the best sax players by the time they were playing with Billie in the early 30s. By the end of his long career he was composing scores for the movies and for television series.

Selected tracks:

MT 141 St. Louis Blues (1940) listen to the clarinet solo in the bridge

MT 268 A Fine Romance (1955) listen to the obbligati

MT 272 Isn’t It A Lovely Day (1955)

 

Johnny Hodges	***	Alto Sax
John Cornelius Hodges	Recording years	1935-7, 1945
Cambridge 1906 – NYC 1970	Number of tracks	17

Johnny spent almost 40 years of his glorious career playing with Duke Ellington.

Selected tracks

MT 14 These ‘n’ That ‘n’ Those (1935)

MT 19 These Foolish Things (1935)

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Lester Young	****	Tenor Sax
Lester Willis Young (“Prez”)	Recording years	1935-46, 1955-7
Mississippi 1909 – NYC 1959	Number of tracks	67
(exceptionally, he played also clarinet)

Lester is generally considered to be one of the greatest masters in saxophone. He worked with Count Basie from 1936 to 1940. Im 1934 he came to New York and lived some time by Sadie, Billie’s mother. At the time, all the musicians got a nickname, like for instance Duke (Ellington) and Count (Basie). Billie, celebrating their friendship, would soon call him Pres (from president) and he, in turn , would call her Lady Day. They were great friends for life and he passed away a couple of weeks before her. Sixty-seven tracks with Billie is a record.

Selected tracks

MT 44 I Must Have That Man (1937) an historical session, where a wonderful team of musicians were gathered together.

MT 92 I The Very Thought Of You (1938) an opportunity to hear Lester playing clarinet.

MT 126 The Man I Love (1939)

MT 147 All Of Me (1941) this track is generally considered an alternate take because it was too long for a 78rpm and then not selected as the master take at the time. However, due to this particularity, I chose it as an master take – an opportunity to hear two Lester solos.

LR 192 Fine And Mellow (1957) once again, this fine tune is selected in this work. This time, to commemorate Lester solos. This was actually a rehearsal for the TV presentation that took place a couple of days later – his last track with Billie.

 

Ben Webster	**	Tenor Sax
Benjamin Francis Webster	Recording years	1935-7, 1944,1956-7
Missouri 1909 – Amsterdam 1973	Number of tracks	48

Ben Webster was close to Billie from the very beginning. He was considered the first tenor soloist of Duke Ellington Orchestra in early fourties.In 1964 he moved to Europe.

Selected tracks

MT 281 Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me (1956)

MT 285 We’ll Be Together Again (1956)

MT 289 I Wished On The Moon (1956)

LR 192 Fine And Mellow (1957)

MT 294 Comes Love (1957)

MT 299 Stars Fell On Alabama (1957)

 

Paul Quinichette	*	Tenor Sax
“Vice-Prez”	Recording years	1952-57
Denver 1916 – NYC 1983	Number of tracks	15

Paul Quinichette was known as “vice-prez” due to his style, similar to Lester Young, who he replaced in the Count Basie band.

Selected Tracks

MT 235 Lover Come Back To Me (1952)

MT 279 Good Morning Heartache (1956)

 

Stan Getz	*****	Tenor Sax
Stanley Gayetzky	Recording years	1951
Philadelphia 1927 – California 1991	Number of tracks	4

Getz was undoubtely one of the greatest tenor saxophone players of all time. Unfortunately, this genious had just a sole session with Billie, live. What a pitty.

Selected Track

LR 74 Lover Come Back To Me (1951)

 

 

Gerry Mulligan	*****	Baritone Sax
Gerald Joseph Mulligan	Recording years	1957-58
NYC 1927 – Connecticut 1996	Number of tracks	12

Mulligan was one of the world’s most famous sax players. Unfortunately, he took part in only two sessions with Billie, but one of them was memorable, a special live TV presentation with many other stars. The session was also videotaped (see discography).

Selected track:

LR 193 Fine And Mellow (1957)

 

 

Harry Carney	***	Baritone Sax
Harry Howell Carney	Recording years	1935-7, 1945
Boston 1910 – NYC 1974	Number of tracks	10

Harry Carney was an essential element in Duke Ellington Orchestra. He first recorded with Billie in a very early stage, in 1935, when they appear in the film “Symphony in Black”, shot in Paramount Studios, Long Island. The last was in LA at the Esquire Magazine’s Second Annual Jazz Concert. Other two studio sessions were with Teddy Wilson band.

Selected track:

MT 19 These Foolish Things (1936)

 

Benny Goodman	****	Clarinet
Benö Guttman, “the Professor”	Recording years	1933-1939
Chicago 1909 – NYC 1986	Number of tracks	14

Benny Goodman was the son of a Jewish immigrant from Hungary. He deserves an special place in this hall of fame. He formed his own band in 1932 and, in the next year, it was with his band that Billie performed her first two recording sessions (see selected tracks). He also joined Teddy Wilson Band as a clarinet player for other 10 tracks in early thirties.

Selected tracks

MT 1 Your Mother´s Son-in-law (1933) this was Billie’s first recording session. The record was issued under the Columbia label, having in the other side a Goodman’s instrumental track, Tappin’ The Barrel (see discography)

MT 3 I Wished On The Moon (1935) an historical session, the first one with Teedy Wilson under Brunswick label. This seven-men band has several componentes mentioned in this work: Eldridge, Webster, Teddy Wilson, Cozy Cole, besides Goodman.

MT 43 Why Was I Born (1937) Goodman plays with the great rhythm section: Walter Page, Freddie Green and Jo Jones.

MT 44 I Must Have That Man (1937) with a memorable solo shared with Buck and Lester Young.

 

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Artie Shaw	***	Clarinet
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky	Recording years	1936-1938
Boston 1910 – NYC 1974	Number of tracks	5

Shaw did a sole session with Billie, in the beginning of her career. This was the first session under the Vocalion label and four tracks have been recorded. He loved Billie, though, and in 1938 he was the first white bandleader to hire a black vocalist. However, the audiences and the record executives rejected such arrangement and that was probably the reason why only one track has been recorded.

Selected tracks

MT 25 Billie’s Blues (1936) an all-white band, except Cozy Cole, was the only Shaw’s collaboration with Billie. A curiosity about this song was that Billie wrote it on the spot, as nobody liked the song previously chosen as the fourth track

MT 91 Any Old Time (1938) as mentioned above, this was her only recording with Shaw’s band.

 

Tony Scott	***	Clarinet
Anthony Joseph Sciacca	Recording years	1952-1956
New Jersey 1921 – Rome 2007	Number of tracks	41

Scott played with Billie in her late years, and the two sessions where he conducted his own Orchestra are specially memorable. He was also a composer, but unfortunately we only have fragments of one of his tunes in a rehearsal session (where he actually played piano).

Selected tracks

MT 250 Say It Isn’t So (1955) where we can hear his obbligatos in the first part

MT 255 Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me (1955) a delicious recording where we can hear Tony in the bridge

 

Benny Morton		Trombone
Henry Sterling Morton	Recording years	1938-1944
New York City 1907-1985	Number of tracks	23

Benny Morton worked in his early times with Clarence Holiday, Billie’s father.

Selected Tracks

MT 76 When You’re Smiling (1938)

MT 141 St Louis Blues (1940)

 

Teddy Wilson	*	Piano
Theodore Shaw Wilson	Recording years	1935-1942
Austin 1912 – Connecticut 1986	Number of tracks	95

Teddy Wilson made history by playing in 95 tracks in her classical period, that some people consider her best. He was married for some time to Irene Wilson, a close friend from Billie.

Selected tracks

MT 5 Miss Brown To You (1935) one of the songs of his first session with Billie; in 1935, they recorded 14 songs together!

MT 19 These Foolish Things (1936)

MT 51 Moanin’ Low (1937)

MT 58 I’ll Get By (1938)

 

Jimmy Rowles	*	Piano
James George Rowles	Recording years	1942, 1949, 1955-7
Spokane 1918 – L.A. 1996	Number of tracks	54

Jimmy Rowles met Billie in 1942, when they first recorded together. They got close for life, one of her few white friends. Most of their collaboration took place in late fifties, and all tracks have been recorded in Los Angeles.

Selected Tracks:

LR 59 Maybe You’ll Be There (1949) this song, with a classical jazz trio, was part of a broadcast presentation. Billie rendering is unforgettable.

MT 268 A Fine Romance (1955)

MT 270 I Get A Kick Out Of You (1955)

MT 284 Speak Low (1956)

MT 293 Just One Of Those Things (1957)

 

Count Basie	*****	Piano
William Basie	Recording years	1937, 1950, 1955
New Jersey 1904 – Hollywood 1984	Number of tracks	6
(exceptionally, he played also organ)

Count Basie is one of the greatest musicians in jazz history, leading his famous Count Basie Orchestra from 1934 and based in New York from 1936 on. Billie participated in very few recordings with Basie, all of them in four live sessions. The most curious as partners in a short film in Hollywood (see live recordings).

Selected tracks

LR 2 They Can’t Take That Away From Me (1937)

LR 144 Stormy Weather (1955) where he plays organ

 

Oscar Peterson	***	Piano
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson	Recording years	1952-54
Montreal 1925 –	Number of tracks	24
(exceptionally, he also played organ)

Another jazz icon, Peterson is one of the few contemporaries of Billie still alive. They had precious moments together, later in her career.

Selected tracks

MT 219 East Of The Sun (1952)

MT 222 You Turned The Tables On Me (1952)

MT 228 Love For Sale (1952)

MT 235 Lover Come Back To Me (1952)

 

Eddie Heywood		Piano
Edward Heywood Jr.	Recording years	1941, 1944
Atlanta 1915 – Miami Beach 1989	Number of tracks	23

Always with his band, Eddie recorded 23 tracks with Billie, in 5 studio sessions.

Selected Tracks:

MT 146 All Of Me (1941) in his first session with Billie.

MT 170 Lover Come Back To Me (1944) with a classic jazz trio.

 

Barney Kessel		Guitar
Barney Kessel	Recording years	1952 -1957
Oklahoma 1923 – San Diego 2004	Number of tracks	62

Kessel was the most frequent guitar man in Billie recordings, although he has played only in the fifties.

Selected tracks

MT 223 Easy To Love (1952)

MT 266 I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues (1955)

MT 282 Cheek To Cheek (1956)

 

Freddie Green		Guitar
Frederick William Green	Recording years	1937-40, 1950-4
Charleston 1911 – Las Vegas 1987	Number of tracks	48

Freddie Green worked with Count Basie for 45 years; he was one of Billie’s many lovers – for a short time – that Billie said was one of the three men she loved; a member of the greatest rhythm section, together with Walter Page on bass and Jo Jones on drums.

Selected tracks

MT 80 On The Sentimental Side (1938) listen to his solos

MT 238 He’s Funny That Way (1952)

 

Milt Hinton	*	Bass
Milton John Hilton	Recording years	1936-9, 1957-9
Mississippi 1910 – NYC 2000	Number of tracks	35

Milt was raised in Chicago where, in 1936 he joined the Cab Calloway band, where he worked with some of his colleagues in these first recordings with Billie, like Ben Webester and Chu Berry.

Selected tracks

MT 32 Easy To Love (1936)

MT 152 What Shall I Say (1939)

LR 193 Fine And Mellow (1957) apres. Na TV

LR 720 Lover Man (1958) Wallingford, Connecticut

MT 316 You’ve Changed (1958) this song is in the album “Lady In Satin” that Milt referred as a “commercial album”.

 

Ray Brown	*	Bass
Raymond Matthews Brown	Recording years	1952-54
Pittsburgh 1926 – Indianapolis 2002	Number of tracks	23

Ray Brown showed up in Billie recordings at a late stage. Nevertheless, he recorded 23 studio tracks with her. He was married to Ella Fitzgerald from 1947 to 1952, same period he joined Dizzy Gillespie band.

Selected tracks

MT 224 These Foolish Things (1952)

MT 240 How Deep is the Ocean (1954)

 

Walter Page		Bass
Walter Sylvester Page	Recording years	1937-1940
Missouri 1900 – NYC 1957	Number of tracks	48

Walter Page was in that period a member of the Count Basie’s band, where he formed the amazing rhythm section with the Freddie Green’s guitar (see) and Jo Jones’ drums (see). Almost all the 48 tracks he recorded with Billie were studio takes.

Selected tracks

MT 44 I Must Have That Man (1937) a good opportunity to hear that famous rhythm section.

MT 73 My Man (1937)

 

Jo Jones	*	Drums
Jonathan Jones (“Papa Jo Jones”)	Recording years	1937-9, 1957
Chicago 1911 – NYC 1985	Number of tracks	37

Jo Jones took part in Count Basie band where he formed one of the most famous rhythm section in jazz, together with Walter Page and Freddie Green (see).

Selected tracks

MT 76 When You’re Smiling (1938)

LR 182 My Man (1957) Newport Jazz Festival

LR 192 Fine And Mellow (1957) rehearsal for TV presentation

 

Cozy Cole	*	Drums
	Recording years	1935-39, 1945, 1954
New Jersey 1909 – Columbus 1981	Number of tracks	72

Cole was one of the most constant musicians in Billie’s sessions: altogether, 72 tracks along her career, most of them between 1935 and 1939. All of them studio recordings!

Selected tracks

MT 18 It’s Like Reaching For The Moon (1936)

MT 89 I Wish I Had You ( 1938)

 

Kenny Clarke	*	Drums
Kenneth Clarke Spearman	Recording years	1940-1946
Pittsburgh 1914 – France 1985	Number of tracks	11

Kenny Clarke was a member of the famous Modern Jazz Quartet.

Selected tracks

MT 139 It’s The Same Old Story (1940)

MT 147 All Of Me (1941)

 

J. C. Heard	*	Drums
James Charles Heard	Recording years	1940-1946
Dayton, Ohio 1917 – Michigan 1988	Number of tracks	19

JC started in 1939 with Teddy Wilson. Most of JC recordings with Billie were in his band.

Selected tracks

MT 133 I’m Pulling Through (1940)

LR 32 All Of Me (1946) at JATP in Carnegie Hall

 

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