Jack Purvis

Jack Purvis ( born December 11, 1906 in Kokoma (Indiana), † March 30 1962 in San Francisco ) was an American jazz trumpeter (also trombone, piano, vocals and other instruments, as well as composition ). Best known he was loud Digby Fairweather that he Okeh in 1929, the piece " copyin ' Louis " has grossed which " consisted of nothing but bits and pieces of Armstrong's titles. For this they needed at a time, in the Armstrong was at the height of his technical ability, not only nerves but also dexterity. "

Life and work

Purvis met at the school, which he left early, trumpet and trombone and then pursued a career as a professional musician. After school, he first went to Lexington ( Kentucky), where he worked at the original Kentucky Nighthawks. In 1926/27 he played with Whitey Kaufman's Original Pennsylvanians. In 1929 he was part of the band of Hal Kemp, with whom he recorded also, as well as with his own band, which he initially made ​​with Kemp's rhythm section, as well as with Smith Ballew, Ted Wallace, Rube Bloom, the California Ramblers, Roy Wilson Georgia Crackers the Carolina Club Orchestra. On his own recordings musicians such as JC Higginbotham, Coleman Hawkins and Adrian Rollini were involved. In the next few years he also worked with the Dorsey Brothers and played fourth trumpet with Fletcher Henderson. After being with Fred Waring and Charlie Barnet, with whom he toured in 1933 by the Southern States, he arranged for George Stoll in California and for Warner Brothers. His composition " Legends of Haiti" is written for a 110- piece orchestra. In 1935, he played in New York City with Frank Froebas Swing Band, with which he recorded his last recordings, and has performed with Joe Haymes. 1937 appeared in Down Beat, an article with the headline: "What has become of Jack Purvis ," A year later there was an answer to the question, as was broadcast by Radio WBAB from the state prison in Texas a concert with the band, the he headed in a bank robbery as a prison inmate after entanglement. He stayed until 1947 and died in 1962 in prison from poisoning with town gas.

Lexical entries

• Ian Carr, Brian Priestley, Digby Fairweather (eds.): Rough Guide to Jazz. The ultimate guide to jazz. 1700 artists and bands from the beginning until today. Metzler Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-476-01584- X