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(1920 – ) A brilliant (and very distinctive) soloist, Terry gained fame for his “Mumbles” vocals (which started as a satire of the less intelligible ancient blues singers) and is also an enthusiastic educator. He gained early experience playing trumpet in the viable St. Louis jazz scene of the early 40’s (where he was an inspiration for Miles Davis) and, after performing in a Navy band during World War II, he gained a strong reputation playing with the big band of Charlie Barnet (1947) and in Count Basie’s big band and small groups (1948-51) before beginning an important affiliation with Duke Ellington, which lasted from 1951 to 1959. During this period, Terry took part in many of Ellington’s suites and acquired a lasting reputation for his wide range of styles (from Swing to Hard Bop), technical proficiency, and infectious good humour.
After leaving Ellington, he became a frequent performer in New York studios and a staff member of the NBC; he appeared regularly on the Tonight Show, where his unique “mumbling” scat singing became famous. He also continued to play jazz with musicians such as J.J. Johnson and Oscar Peterson, and led a group with Bob Brookmeyer that achieved some popularity in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, Terry began to concentrate increasingly on the flugelhorn, from which he obtains a remarkably full, ringing tone. In addition to his studio work and teachings at jazz workshops, Terry toured regularly in the 1980s with small groups (including Peterson’s) and performed as the leader of his Big B-A-D Band (formed in 1970).
His humour and command of jazz trumpet styles are nowhere more apparent than in his “dialogues” with himself, either on different instruments or on the same instrument, muted and un-muted. |
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