Perry Bradford
John Henry " Perry " Bradford ( born February 14, 1893 in Montgomery, Alabama, † April 20, 1970 in New York City ) was an American pianist, singer, composer and band leader and manager of Okeh Records.
Life and work
Bradford grew up in Atlanta, where his family moved in 1902. They lived near the local jail, where the young Perry heard the song of the occupants and so for the first time came into contact with the Blues. In 1907 he became a member of the band " Allen 's New Orleans Minstrels "; in this itinerant minstrel troupe he performed as a singer and dancer. Finally, he left the troupe and worked as a solo pianist, including in Chicago. In 1910 he came to New York, where he became head of the recording studios of record label Okeh Records was in the 1920s. He arranged many recordings with famous jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, James P. Johnson, Clarence Williams, Don Redman and Fats Waller and blues singers like Mamie Smith, who recorded his composition " Crazy Blues", and Edith Wilson and Alberta Perkins. Around 1925, he ran the band's formation "The Jazz Phools " with Armstrong, the title as Lucy Long, I Is not Gonna Play No Second Fiddle (1925) and The Jazz Hounds (1927 ) recorded. Under his own name emerged in the 1920s further borrowings under the Bandbezeicnungen Perry Bradford and his gang or Bradford 's Jazz Phools, contributors were, inter alia, Louis Armstrong, Buster Bailey, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Don Redman. In 1923, he have to serve a prison sentence for violation of copyrights.
His vocal style also had an impact on the Rock ' n ' Roll; Little Richard calls him as an important influence. He had a hit in 1957 with the Bradford entitled " Keep A Knockin ' ". In 1965, his autobiography, "Born with the Blues " was released. He was also the composer of the title " Evil Blues", "You Can not Keep a Good Man Down", and " That Thing Called Love ".
Auswahldiskographie
In the following albums recording with Perry Bradford are included as singer:
- Louis Armstrong: Louis Armstrong Vol 1 - Young Louis "The Sideman " ( MCA)
- Louis Armstrong: Louis Armstrong and the Blues Singers ( Affinity, 1924-1930 )
- James P. Johnson: Hot Piano ( Topaz, 1921-44 )
- Willie "The Lion" Smith: 1925-1927 ( Classics )