Big Chief Russell Moore

" Big Chief " Russell Moore ( born August 13, 1912 Indian Reservation in Sacaton Komatke, Arizona, † December 15, 1983 in Nyack, New York) was an American trombonist and singer of Hot Jazz.

Life and work

Moore came from the tribe of Pima Indians. In 1924 he moved to Iceland Blue in Illinois and received his first musical instruction from an uncle. He learned piano, drums, trumpet, flugelhorn, but then switched to the trombone. Furthermore, he took lessons at the Sherman Institute in California and then played in the early 1930s in Los Angeles initially with Mexican dance orchestras. In 1935, he was with Lionel Hampton and 1936 in the big band of Eddie Barefield. He worked as a freelancer in 1939 and went to New Orleans where he played with Papa Celestin, Kid Rena, Armand Piron, Paul Barbarin. In 1939, he was with Ernie Fields, Harlan Leonard and 1939-1941 at Noble Sissle. From 1944 until its dissolution in 1947 he was a member of the Big Band of Louis Armstrong. He then worked in the Dixieland revival again as a freelancer, often in Jimmy Ryan's in New York.

Again and again he worked from 1947 to 1949 and 1951 with Sidney Bechet, with whom he recorded also. In 1949 he was in the Salon du Jazz in Paris. Then he had his own bands and played in 1952 with Ruby Braff and Pee Wee Russell. In 1953 he was back in Europe with Mezz Mezzrow, with whom he recorded also. In 1954, he belonged to the band of Jimmy McPartland. He played with Eddie Condon, Wild Bill Davison and other veterans of traditional jazz. 1964/65 he was the successor of Trummy Young at the Louis Armstrong All Stars ( with whom he has also appeared in East Berlin ), but went early due to illness. He then headed back his own bands, with whom he frequently played in Canada. In 1977 he took up with Cozy Cole. In 1981, he toured in the UK with Keith Smith.

He took in 1953 on his own for Vogue and Trutone and 1973 for Jazz Art