Zilner Randolph

Zilner Trenton " Randy " Randolph ( born January 28, 1899 in Dermott (Arkansas ); † February 2nd 1994 in Chicago ) was an American jazz musician ( arranger, composer, trumpeter ).

Randolph studied trumpet and piano at the Biddle University in North Carolina, on Kreuger Conservatory in St. Louis and at the Wisconsin Conservatory in Milwaukee. 1927 to 1931 he played in the Territory tape by Bernie Young in Milwaukee.

He is best known as the musical director of Louis Armstrong in the 1930s (1931 /32, partly also 1933, 1935). His composition Old Man Moses was recorded by Armstrong in 1935, he arranged not only for Armstrong, but also played in the backing band. He also played with Carroll Dickerson and Dave Peyton. In the second half of the 1930s he had his own band in Chicago and arranged among other things, Fletcher Henderson, Woody Herman, Duke Ellington and Earl Hines. In the 1940s he formed a band with his children, was record producer and worked primarily as a teacher. From time to time he led the house band at the Indiana Theater in the 1950s.

He took not on as leader.

His son Lucious played trumpet in Sun Ra, in which his daughter Hatti sang in the 1950s.