Billy Butterfield

Charles William " Billy" Butterfield ( born January 14, 1917 in Middleton (Ohio ), † 18 March 1988, North Palm Beach ) was an American jazz trumpeter (also cornet, flugelhorn ) of the Traditional Jazz and Swing.

Life

Butterfield first studied cornet with Frank Simons, but then began to study medicine. He was again in favor of trumpet playing and was first in the bands of Austin Wiley and Andy Anderson. He became known from 1937 to 1940 as a soloist in the big band of Bob Crosby and the Bobcats. His solo on "What's New? " Became his signature tune. 1940/1 he was with Artie Shaw, including in 1940 at the Gramercy Five and in the film Second Chorus. In memory especially his solo on "Stardust" remained. 1941/42, he was with Benny Goodman and then at Les Brown. The first of four hits with recordings of his orchestra he succeeded in July 1943 with the Leo Robin - number " My Ideal " (# 12); Band singer and co-author was soon successful Margaret Whiting.

After his military service in a U.S. Army band he played in the radio orchestras of ABC and NBC and ran until 1947 own big band. In February 1945, he had with "Moonlight in Vermont " a Millionenhit. He was successful in October 1946, " Rumors Are Flying " (# 6); then he broke his orchestra, and worked as a studio musician, played every now and then at Eddie Condon and worked from 1959 partly as a teacher in Rescue in Virginia. In 1956 he accompanied a major Ray Conniffs career with his trumpet playing significant and was already at its first album, " ' s Wonderful" a member of the orchestra. The solo in Conniffs "Love Letters In The Sand " is just one among many. In 1959 the LP " Conniff Meets Butterfield ", with Butterfield as a soloist. Both musicians had known each other from the Artie Shaw band where Conniff played trombone and arranges. Another collaboration of the two musicians was in 1963 on the Conniff LP " Just Kiddin 'Around " and some common single- item ( eg, " Sweet Sue "). From 1968 to 1972 Butterfield was a member of the "World's Greatest Jazz Band " of Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart. In the 1970s he played among others with Flip Phillips and the " Great Eight " and was often heard in Europe and South Africa. In 1983 he had a quartet with Tal Farlow, Slam Stewart and Sam Woodyard.

He was married and had two daughters and two sons.

Discography (selection)

• Pandora 's Box 1946-47 (Hep ), with Lenny Hambro
• Instrumentals never Before on Record ( Onward to yesterday OTY -1514, 1946)
• Take Me to the Land of Jazz ( Delmark, 1969 - 70s)
• Billy Blows His Horn (Columbia, 1960)
• The Golden Horn (Columbia, 1962)