Jimmy Rushing 1901

Cantante e pianista statunitense (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 26.8.1901 – New York, 8.6.1972). Nato in una famiglia di musicisti – il padre trombettista, la madre e i fratelli cantanti – studia il pianoforte e il canto. Debutta in California, con Jelly Roll Morton, Paul Howard, Harvey Brooks (1925-27).

Fa parte dei Blue Devils di Walter Page (1927-28), dell’orchestra di Bennie Moten (1929-35) e viene ingaggiato da Count Basie (1935-50), pur registrando con Benny Goodman, Bob Crosby, Johnny Otis. Forma il suo gruppo; compie parecchie tournée in Europa con Humphrey Lyttelton (1952), Buck Clayton (1959), ritorna a più riprese nell’orchestra di Basie.

Viene poi ingaggiato da Benny Goodman, Harry James (1961) e Eddie Condon (1964) per una tournée in Giappone e in Australia. In seguito, diventa un habitué del club Half Note, accompagnato da Al Cohn e Zoot Sims. Muore per postumi di una leucemia.

Una voce da tenore elastica e calda, un feeling eccezionale, uno straordinario senso dello swing permettono a Jimmy Rushing di affrontare tanto il blues tradizionale quanto ogni tipo di melodia. Soprannominato<<Mr. Five By Five>> per la sua corpulenza (e la sua bassa statura), resta, prima di tutto un eccezionale blues shouter. La sua apparizione nell’orchestra di Count Basie negli anni ’30  e ’40 contribuisce a fare di questo periodo l’età d’oro dell’orchestra.
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[M.L.]

American singer and pianist (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 26.8.1901 - New York, 8.6.1972). Born into a musicians' family - his father trumpeter, mother, and singing brothers - he studied the piano and singing. He made his California debut with Jelly Roll Morton, Paul Howard, Harvey Brooks (1925-27).

He is part of Walter Page's Blue Devils (1927-28), of the Bennie Moten orchestra (1929-35) and was hired by Count Basie (1935-50), while recording with Benny Goodman, Bob Crosby, Johnny Otis. Form your group, he made several tours in Europe with Humphrey Lyttelton (1952), Buck Clayton (1959), returned on several occasions to the Basie's orchestra.

He was then hired by Benny Goodman, Harry James (1961), and Eddie Condon (1964) for a tour of Japan and Australia. Later, he becomes a regular at the Half Note club, accompanied by Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. He dies of a sequela of leukemia.

An elastic and warm tenor voice, an exceptional feeling, and an extraordinary sense of swing allow Jimmy Rushing to deal with traditional blues and any melody. Nicknamed << Mr. Five By Five >> for his corpulence (and his short stature), he remains, first of all, an exceptional blues shouter. His appearance in Count Basie's orchestra in the 1930s and 1940s contributes to making this period the orchestra's golden age.
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[M.L.]