Willie Dennis

Willie Dennis ( born January 10, 1926 in Philadelphia as William De Berardinis, † July 8, 1965 in New York) was an American jazz trombonist. His unorthodox, complicated melodic way of playing years brought him a significant role in the various Charles Mingus bands.

Life and work

Willie Dennis was self-taught. He was one of the circles of Lennie Tristano. Dennis played in several big bands, for example, with Elliot Lawrence, Claude Thornhill, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman. With the Goodman band, he toured Europe in 1948 and 1949 worked with Buddy Rich. Since 1953, he worked again with Charles Mingus and the Jazz Composers Workshop; so the plate Four Trombones came on the debut label of Mingus and Max Roach, and which even the trombonist JJ Johnson, Kai Winding and Bennie Green participated. With Mingus, he played a well plates Blues and Roots (1959) and Mingus Ah Um. He had also been the Town Hall Concert ( 1962). With Goodman, he was at the 1958 World Exhibition in Brussels in 1962 and in the Soviet Union on tour. Beginning of the 60s he was a member of the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band.

Disco Graphical Notes

  • Charles Mingus: Debut Rarities, Vol 1 ( Debut, 1953-57 ) ( re-released in The Complete Debut Recordings 1951-1958, OJC )
  • Woody Herman Herman 's Heat & Puente 's Beat ( Evidence, 1958)
  • Quincy Jones: Big Band Boss Nova ( Verve, 62)
  • Gerry Mulligan: Verve Jazz Masters 36 ( Verve 1960-62 )
  • Oliver Nelson: Verve Jazz Masters 48 ( Verve 1062-67 )
  • Anita O'Day: Verve Jazz Masters 49 ( Verve 1954-62 )
  • Phil Woods: Rights of Swing ( Candid, 1961)
J. J. Johnson Blues & Roots Original Jazz Classics Prestige Records Verve Records Candid Records Richard Cook (journalist) Integrated Authority File
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