Roy Eldridge

David Roy Eldridge , known as Little Jazz , is a Trompettiste, Chanteur and Leader of American Jazz born with Pittsburgh the January 30th 1911 and deceased with New York the February 26th 1989. It will be one of the pillars of the style swing.

Biography

Roy Eldridge starts initially by learning the battery then turns to the Trompette and the tuba. He plays in an orchestra as of the 16 years age, where he practices the three instruments. At the end of the Years 1920, it is devoted only to the trumpet. He plays then in various formations.
Il settles in 1930 with New York where he plays initially in dance bands and in 1933 it forms an orchestra with his/her brother Joe Eldridge saxophonist viola.

After some escapades in various groups, it forms a full orchestra of 1937 with 1940 while accompanying various musicians. It will accompany Billie Holiday thus. In 1941, it returns in the orchestra of Gene Krupa. He always plays of the trumpet, but also launches out like Chanteur, and makes some famous duets with regretted the Anita O' Day.

It passes then in the orchestra of the clarinettist Artie Shaw in 1944 - 1945. It tries to reform a full orchestra, but the full orchestras are not profitable any more (all these musicians should be paid!), Roy returns in small formation, before integrating the Jazz At the Philharmonic of Norman Granz, then orchestra Krupa the Gene.

In 1950 it makes a stay of a few months in France. It will record with local musicians. It goes back to the United States where it carries out a career of guide near various musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges… It creates also its clean combo S and continuous to turn in the J.A.T.P. In 1958, it takes part in the music of film of Marcel Carné the Cheaters.

In 1980, it is victim of a heart disease prohibiting to him to take again the trumpet. It will continue to occur as pianist and singer, until his death in 1989.

Its music

Eldridge was very varied with its trumpet, not only fast and eloquent in the low ones and the médiums, but also in the acute ones. The acute lines of Eldridge were characteristic of its style, as well as the passages to the double tempo followed by one return at the normal speed. This style influenced much the play of Dizzy Gillespie, which founded the style Bebop with Charlie Parker.

Discography

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