Bill Dillard

William " Bill" Dillard ( born July 20, 1911 in Philadelphia, † 16 January 1995 in New York City ) was an American jazz trumpeter of the swing. Later he was an actor and singer, among others, in musicals on Broadway.

Dillard, who play the trumpet essentially self-taught (with some classes in high school ) taught it moved at age 18 to New York and played with Jelly Roll Morton in 1929 ( and took it with him ). 1931 in the orchestra of Luis Russell, 1933 Benny Carter and 1935-1937 with Teddy Hill, with whom he also toured in France and 1937 resumed. He played with Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong and Leadbelly ( 1949 in France) and went with Count Basie on a European tour.

He also took up with Spike Hughes ( 1933), Bill Coleman, Red Allen, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Django Reinhardt (1937 ) and played with King Oliver and Dickie Wells.

As early as 1941 he starred in the comedy thriller ( with All Star Cast colored and bandleader Noble Sissle and Skippy Williams) Murder with Music with; In 1946, he starred in the comedy film House Rent Party by Sam Newfield a supporting role as a police officer. The film is considered lost.

In the early 1980s he was with the Fats Waller musical One Mo Time by Vernel Bagneri in Europe. On Broadway, he starred in Carmen Jones, Regina and Beggars Holiday.

His only recording as a leader he made in 1991 (Bill Dillard With Michael Bøving 's Rhythmakers, Storyville 2002).