Bobby Hackett's mellow tone and melodic style offered a contrast to the brasher Dixieland-oriented trumpeters. Emphasizing his middle-register and lyricism, Hackett was a flexible soloist who actually sounded little like his main inspiration, Louis Armstrong.

When Hackett first came up he was briefly known as "the new Bix" because of... [+] Read More

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Bunny Berigan, during 1935-1939, was arguably the top trumpeter in jazz (with his main competition being Louis Armstrong and Roy Eldridge). Blessed with a beautiful tone and a wide range (Berigan's low notes could be as memorable as his upper-register shouts), Berigan brought excitement to every session he appeared on. He was not afraid to take... [+] Read More

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Charlie Shavers was one of the great trumpeters to emerge during the swing era, a virtuoso with an open-minded and extroverted style along with a strong sense of humor. He originally played piano and banjo before switching to trumpet, and he developed very quickly. In 1935, he was with Tiny Bradshaw's band and two years later he joined Lucky... [+] Read More

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Another member of the famous New Orleans Brunies family, though he shortened the spelling of his name on the advice of a numerologist. Georg Brunis played alto horn in a family trio as an eight-year-old, and also with Papa Jack Laine's Reliance Brass Band. He switched to trombone at age ten; then moved to Chicago in 1920, where he played in Paul... [+] Read More

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One of the classic giants of jazz, Jack Teagarden was not only the top pre-bop trombonist (playing his instrument with the ease of a trumpeter) but one of the best jazz singers too. He was such a fine musician that younger brother Charlie (an excellent trumpeter) was always overshadowed. Jack started on piano at age five (his mother Helen was a... [+] Read More

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Kid Ory was one of the great New Orleans pioneers, an early trombonist who virtually defined the "tailgate" style (using his horn to play rhythmic bass lines in the front line behind the trumpet and clarinet) and who was fortunate enough to last through the lean years so he could make a major comeback in the mid-'40s. Originally a banjoist, Ory... [+] Read More

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One of the great swing/Dixieland cornetists, Ruby Braff went through long periods of his career unable to find work because his music was considered out-of-fashion, but his fortunes improved by the 1970s. A very expressive player who in later years liked to build his solos up to a low note, Braff's playing was instantly recognizable within... [+] Read More

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In the early '20s, New Orleans native Sharkey Bonano played locally with the bands of Chink Martin and Freddie Newman, among others. Later, he moved to New York where he unsuccessfully auditioned for a spot with the Wolverines. In 1924, he landed a spot with pianist Jimmy Durante. The next year, he returned home to lead his own band. In 1927, he... [+] Read More

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A distinctive trumpeter who fit into both New Orleans jazz and swing settings, Sidney DeParis was particularly expert with mutes. He worked with Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten (1926-1931), Don Redman (1932-1936 and 1939), Zutty Singleton (1939-1941), Benny Carter (1940-41), and Art Hodes (1941) and recorded on the famed Panassie sessions (1938)... [+] Read More

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Wingy Manone was an excellent Dixieland trumpeter whose jivey vocals were popular and somewhat reminiscent of his contemporary, Louis Prima. He had lost his right arm in a streetcar accident when he was ten, but Manone (who Joe Venuti once gave one cuff link for a Christmas present) never appeared to be handicapped in public (effectively using... [+] Read More

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