Johnny Letman

Bernard John "Johnny" Letman ( born September 6, 1917 in McCormick, South Carolina, † July 17, 1992 in New York City ) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Biography

Johnny Letman played at the beginning of his career in various bands of the Midwest, as in Gerald Valentine, Scatman Crothers and Jimmy Rasch Elle. After he was pulled mid 30s to Chicago, he worked for Delbert Bright, Bob Tinsley, Johnny Lang, Nat King Cole ( 1938), Horace Henderson (1941 /42) and Red Saunders ( 1942). After a year in Detroit he played with Teddy Buckner and John Kirby; In 1944 he moved to New York City. There he was a member of the bands of Phil Moore, Lucky Millinder (1945 ), Cab Calloway ( 1947-49 ), Milt Buckner and Count Basie ( 1951).

In the 1950s and 60s Letman worked mainly as a studio musician and in Broadway shows. In 1960 his debut album The Many Angles of John Letman on Bethlehem Records, in which Letman with Dick Wellstood, Kenny Burrell, Peck Morrison and Panama played Francis; While in 1968, followed by another LP for Black & Blue Records in 1968. Besides he played with Joe Thomas, Stuff Smith, Chubby Jackson, Panama Francis, Hal Singer, Sam " The Man" Taylor, Eddie Condon, Wilbur De Paris and Claude Hopkins; but also worked frequently outside of the music business. In 1968 he toured with Milt Buckner and Tiny Grimes in Paris. In the 1970s, he still played with Lionel Hampton, Cozy Cole and Earl Hines. 1985/86 he led the New Orleans Blues Serenaders, with whom he also went on a European tour.

Lexical entries

• Carlo Bohländer Reclams Jazz Guide Stuttgart
• Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, Brian Priestley Rough Guide Jazz Stuttgart 1999