Buster Bailey

Buster Bailey
John Kirby(standing) and Buster Bailey (seated), Washington D.C., c. May 1946 Photography byWilliam P. Gottlieb
Background information
Birth name	William C. Bailey
Born	(1902-07-19)July 19, 1902 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	August 12, 1967(1967-08-12)(aged 65) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Jazz,swing
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Clarinet
Years active	1917–1967
Formerly of	Fletcher Henderson,John Kirby,Red Allen

William C."Buster"Bailey(July 19, 1902 – April 12, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist.

Career history

Early career

Buster Bailey was taught clarinet by classical teacher Franz Schoepp, who also taughtBenny Goodman.Bailey gained his start withW.C. Handy's Orchestrain 1917, when he was just fifteen years old.After two years of touring with Handy, Bailey quit the orchestra while the band was inChicago.In 1919, Bailey joinedErskine Tate's Vendome Orchestraand remained with Tate until 1923 when he joined up withJoe "King" Oliver.As a member of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Bailey met and became friends withLouis Armstrong,who was also a member of the band at that time. In 1924, Armstrong left King Oliver's Jazz Band to joinFletcher Henderson's Orchestrain New York.Within a month, Armstrong extended an invitation for Buster Bailey to join him as a member of Henderson's band. Bailey accepted and moved toNew York City.

Mid-career

In New York during the late 1920s, Buster Bailey became a highly respectedsidemanwithPerry Bradfordand others, and appeared on numerous recordings playing both the clarinet and thesoprano saxophone.Bailey performed on a number ofClarence Williamsrecordings. In 1927, he left Fletcher Henderson and undertook a tour of Europe withNoble Sissle's Orchestra.After his return, Bailey performed with several other jazz musicians, includingEdgar Hayesand Dave Nelson. He rejoined Sissle's orchestra in 1931 and continued with the group through 1933. In 1934, Bailey briefly returned to Fletcher Henderson, but by the end of the year he had settled down as a member of theJohn Kirby Band.Bailey remained a member of Kirby's band until 1946, but that did not stop him from performing with other artists.In 1934 and 1935, Bailey was playing with theMills Blue Rhythm Bandand, in 1937, he was a session player forMidge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters.He also recorded music during this time asBuster Bailey and His Rhythm Busters.

Later career

In 1946, Buster Bailey led his own band, but his group lasted for only the year. In 1947, he joinedWilbur de Parisand performed with him until 1949.During the early 1950s, Bailey was withBig Chief Russell Moore,but for most of the decade Bailey played withHenry "Red" Allen.From 1961 to 1963, he performed withWild Bill Davison.Bailey was with the Saints And Sinners from 1963 to 1964, and in 1965 he rejoined Armstrong and became a member of Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars.

Buster Bailey died in April 1967of a heart attack. He was living inBrooklyn,New York, at the time.

Screen appearances

Buster Bailey appeared on film three times during his career. The first was in a film entitledThat's the Spirit(1933) in which he played himself as a band member. The second was as an uncredited clarinetist inSepia Cinderella(1947) as part of the John Kirby Sextet. His final film appearance was with Louis Armstrong inWhen the Boys Meet the Girls(1965), again as a musician.

He also appeared in 1958 in the DuMont TV seriesJazz Partyand in 1961 on the TV programThe DuPont Show of the Weekin an episode entitled "America's Music - Chicago and All That Jazz".

Discography

As leader

• All About Memphis(Felsted, 1958)
• 1925–1940(Classics)

As sideman

• Red Allen,Red Allen, Kid Ory & Jack Teagarden at Newport(Verve, 1957)
• Red Allen,Ride, Red, Ride in Hi-Fi(RCA Victor, 1957)
• Red Allen,Red Allen Plays King Oliver(Verve, 1961)
• Mildred Bailey,Her Greatest Performances 1929–1946(Columbia, 1962)
• Eubie Blake,The Marches I Played On the Old Ragtime Piano(20th Fox, 1960)
• Wild Bill Davison,Swingin(Dixie Bear, 1962)
• Vic Dickenson& Joe Thomas,Mainstream(Atlantic, 1958)
• Bobby Donaldson,Dixieland New York(World Wide, 1958)
• Bobby Donaldson,Dixieland Jazz Party(Savoy, 1959)
• Leonard Gaskin,At the Jazz Band Ball(Prestige Swingville, 1962)
• Ronnie Gilbert,In Hi-Fi: The Legend of Bessie Smith(RCA Victor,, 1958)
• Jackie Gleason,Jackie Gleason Presents Lazy Lively Love(Capitol, 1960)
• Juanita Hall,The Original Bloody Mary Sings the Blues(Counterpoint, 1958)
• Fletcher Henderson,The Big Reunion(Jazztone, 1958)
• Fletcher Henderson,Swing's the Thing 1931–1934(Decca, 1961)
• Claude Hopkins,Music of the Early Jazz Dances(20th Fox, 1958)
• Alberta Hunter& Lucille Hegamin & Victoria Spivey,Songs We Taught Your Mother(Prestige Bluesville, 1962)
• Henry Jerome,Strings in Dixieland(Decca, 1962)
• Odetta,Sometimes I Feel Like Cryin(RCA Victor, 1962)
• Jimmy Rushing,Bessie Clara Mamie & Trixie(Columbia, 1961)
• Clarence Williams,1935(Almac, 1960)

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1947	Sepia Cinderella	Clarinettist - John Kirby Sextet	Uncredited
1961	Splendor in the Grass	Musician	Uncredited
1965	When the Boys Meet the Girls	Clarinetist with Louis Armstrong	Uncredited, (final film role)

Resources

• Kernfeld, Barry, ed.The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz,vol. 1. London: Macmillan Publishers, Ltd., 2002.
• Larkin, Colin, ed.The Encyclopedia of Popular Music,vol. 1. London: Macmillan Reference, Ltd., 1998.
• Panassie-Gautier,Dictionnaire du Jazz,1972

External links

• Buster BaileyRed Hot Jazz Archive
• Buster Bailey recordingsat theDiscography of American Historical Recordings