Andy Kirk (musician)

Andrew Dewey Kirk ( born May 28, 1898 in Newport, Kentucky, † December 11, 1992 in New York City, New York) was an American big band leader and bassist (especially bass saxophone and tuba player).

Life

Kirk grew up in Denver, where he received instruction from Paul Whiteman's father Wilberforce Whiteman. He began in 1918 as a bass saxophone and tuba player while George Morrison Orchestra. In 1925, he moved to Dallas, where he played with Terrence Holders Dark clouds of Joy. In 1929 he took over the band ( he was elected by the other to the Leader) and renamed it in Twelve Clouds of Joy. Her big success they had after moving to Kansas City in 1929, where trained already in the 1920s, early form of swing and originated from 1929 to 1930 where her first recordings for Brunswick. After a crisis, in which the band was almost taken over by Blanche Calloway, they were the second big band from Kansas City, the Bennie Moten band came next to nation-wide reputation. Their headquarters was the Pla -Mor Ballroom street at the corner of 32nd and Main, then the Fairyland Park and Winwood Beach. Occasionally, however, they also toured on the East and West coasts. In 1936 she had with 'Until the Real Thing Comes Along " a big hit. It was sung by Pha Terrell, who contributed with his high tenor voice much to the success of the band - similar to the later falsetto voices around at the Ink Spots and the Platters in the 1950s.

Your success they owed not least the arrangements and compositions of pianist Mary Lou Williams, who was from 1929 to 1942 with the band. The original pianist Marion Jackson in 1929 was not published before the first recording session for Brunswick Records and was replaced by Mary Lou Williams, who was the band member and saxophonist John Williams 's wife at that time and their game the manager Dave Kapp liked. Williams but was until 1931 an official member of the Twelve Clouds of Joy; she also worked at Kirk's number 1 hit I Will not Tell You (I Love You ) ( 1938) and Now I Lay Me Down to Dream with (1940, # 19). Other members of the band were temporarily Buddy Tate (tenor saxophone), Don Byas, Ben Webster, Fats Navarro, Howard McGhee, Harold Shorty Baker, Kenny Kersey, Claude Williams ( violin), Dick Wilson (saxophone) and also briefly Charlie Parker.

After the departure of Mary Lou Williams in 1942 reduced the Kirk anyway not very large big band to 17 members, among whom were also musicians of the ( later ) modern jazz such as Navarro, McGhee and Byas. The loss of their main arranger, however, was clearly to remember. 1948 dissolved the band. Kirk had the early 1950s, shortly a band (and occasionally led in the 1970s spontaneously backgrounds got bands ). It was then but otherwise professionally active ( hotel managers, real estate agents, Jehovah for the musicians ' union, last active for the witnesses ).

In 1991 he received the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship.