Johnny Bothwell (May 23, 1919 – September 12, 1995) was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
alto saxophonist and
bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a dance band, rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhyth ...
.
Career
Bothwell played in Chicago in 1940 and then moved to New York City, playing with
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roo ...
(1943) and
Sonny Dunham
Elmer "Sonny" Dunham (November 16, 1911 – July 9, 1990) was an American trumpet player and bandleader. A versatile musician, he was one of the few trumpet players who could double on the trombone with equal skill.
Biography
Born in Brockton ...
(1944–46). He was a key member and featured soloist of
Boyd Raeburn
Boyd Albert Raeburn (October 27, 1913 – August 2, 1966) was an American jazz bandleader and bass saxophone, bass saxophonist.
Career
He was born in Faith, South Dakota, United States. Raeburn attended the University of Chicago, where he led a ...
's groups in 1944–1945, and played with
Gene Krupa
Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. Krupa is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in the history of popular music. His drum solo on Benny Goodman ...
in 1945. He formed his own groups between 1945 and 1949, and held a residency at the Tin Pan Alley Club in Chicago as well as in New York and Boston.
Bothwell gave up music after 1949 and moved to
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. He owned a number of bands but did not return to playing for the rest of his life.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bothwell, Johnny
American jazz bandleaders
American jazz saxophonists
American male saxophonists
American big band bandleaders
Musicians from Indiana
1919 births
1995 deaths
20th-century American saxophonists
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians