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Buster Bailey | |
|---|---|
 Buster Bailey (1946) | |
| Background information | |
| Born | William C. Bailey (1902-07-19)July 19, 1902 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | August 12, 1967(1967-08-12) (aged 65) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,swing |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Clarinet |
| Years active | 1917–1967 |
| Formerly of | Fletcher Henderson,John Kirby,Red Allen |
William C."Buster" Bailey (July 19, 1902 – April 12, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist.[1]
Buster Bailey was taught clarinet by classical teacher Franz Schoepp, who also taughtBenny Goodman.[2] Bailey gained his start withW.C. Handy's Orchestra in 1917, when he was just fifteen years old.[2] After two years of touring with Handy, Bailey quit the orchestra while the band was inChicago. In 1919, Bailey joinedErskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra and remained with Tate until 1923 when he joined up withJoe "King" Oliver.[2] As a member of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Bailey met and became friends withLouis Armstrong, who was also a member of the band at that time. In 1924, Armstrong left King Oliver's Jazz Band to joinFletcher Henderson's Orchestra in New York.[2] Within a month, Armstrong extended an invitation for Buster Bailey to join him as a member of Henderson's band. Bailey accepted and moved toNew York City.[3]
In New York during the late 1920s, Buster Bailey became a highly respectedsideman withPerry Bradford and others, and appeared on numerous recordings playing both the clarinet and thesoprano saxophone. Bailey performed on a number ofClarence Williams recordings. In 1927, he left Fletcher Henderson and undertook a tour of Europe withNoble Sissle's Orchestra. After his return, Bailey performed with several other jazz musicians, includingEdgar Hayes and Dave Nelson. He rejoined Sissle's orchestra in 1931 and continued with the group through 1933. In 1934, Bailey briefly returned to Fletcher Henderson, but by the end of the year he had settled down as a member of theJohn Kirby Band.[2] Bailey remained a member of Kirby's band until 1946, but that did not stop him from performing with other artists.[2] In 1934 and 1935, Bailey was playing with theMills Blue Rhythm Band and, in 1937, he was a session player forMidge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters. He also recorded music during this time asBuster Bailey and His Rhythm Busters.[4]
In 1946, Buster Bailey led his own band, but his group lasted for only the year. In 1947, he joinedWilbur de Paris and performed with him until 1949.[2] During the early 1950s, Bailey was withBig Chief Russell Moore, but for most of the decade Bailey played withHenry "Red" Allen.[2] From 1961 to 1963, he performed withWild Bill Davison.[2] Bailey was with theSaints And Sinners from 1963 to 1964, and in 1965 he rejoined Armstrong and became a member of Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars.[5]
Buster Bailey died in April 1967[2] of a heart attack. He was living inBrooklyn, New York, at the time.
Buster Bailey appeared on film three times during his career. The first was in a film entitledThat's the Spirit (1933) in which he played himself as a band member. The second was as an uncredited clarinetist inSepia Cinderella (1947) as part of the John Kirby Sextet. His final film appearance was with Louis Armstrong inWhen the Boys Meet the Girls (1965), again as a musician.
He also appeared in 1958 in the DuMont TV seriesJazz Party and in 1961 on the TV programThe DuPont Show of the Week in an episode entitled "America's Music - Chicago and All That Jazz".
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Sepia Cinderella | Clarinettist - John Kirby Sextet | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Splendor in the Grass | Musician | Uncredited |
| 1965 | When the Boys Meet the Girls | Clarinetist with Louis Armstrong | Uncredited, (final film role) |
