Little Jazz
Submitted by Jazz Suite
It’s probably safe to say no one in the swing ever played with the fire of Roy Eldridge. Just a quick listen to “After You’ve Gone” (scroll down to #6) with Gene Krupa’s orchestra proves that beyond a doubt.
Nicknamed “Little Jazz,” the Pittsburgh-born trumpeter is the link (in a simplistic sense) between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. His resume is a virtual who’s who of great bands: Shaw, Henderson, Goodman, Basie, Hawkins, Teddy Hill, and McKinney’s Cotton Pickers among them. He also led his own groups and took part in Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic jams. The multi-instrumentalist was also something of a singer.
The clip below is from Eldridge’s time in what was one of the swingingest bands in the land, The Gene Krupa Orchestra with Anita O’Day. The mix of the singer’s jazzy vocals, Eldridge’s trumpet and the leader’s driving beat sets the stage for some great jazz.
Read more about the life and times of Roy Eldridge here.
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