Robert Leo Hackett (January 31, 1915 – June 7, 1976) 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, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

musician who played trumpet, cornet, and guitar with the bands of

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the US Army Air Forc ...

and

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Hackett was a featured soloist on some of the

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

mood music albums during the 1950s.

Biography

Bobby Hackett was born in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

, United States. He made his name as a follower of cornet player

Bix Beiderbecke Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical app ...

hired the talented 23 year old to recreate Bix's "I'm Coming Virginia" solo at his (Goodman's) 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. In the late 1930s, Hackett played lead trumpet in the

Vic Schoen Victor Schoen (March 26, 1916 – January 5, 2000) was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer whose career spanned from the 1930s until his death in 2000. He furnished music for some of the most successful persons in show business inclu ...

Orchestra which backed the

Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (Januar ...

. Hackett can be heard on the soundtrack to the 1940

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

movie, '' Second Chorus''. In 1939, the talent agency

MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gen ...

asked Bobby Hackett to form a big band with its backing. When the band failed, he was in substantial debt to MCA after it folded. He joined the bands of

Horace Heidt Horace Heidt (May 21, 1901 – December 1, 1986) was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television during the 19 ...

and then

to pay this debt. To make matters worse, his lip was in bad shape after dental surgery, making it difficult for him to play the trumpet or cornet. Glenn Miller offered him a job as a guitarist. "When I joined the band and I was making good money at last, .. azz criticsaccused me of selling out. Hell I wasn't selling out, I was selling ''in''! It's funny, isn't it, how you go right into the wastebasket with some critics the minute you become successful." Despite lip problems, Hackett could play occasional short solos, and he can be heard playing with the

Glenn Miller Orchestra Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was an American swing dance band formed by Glenn Miller in 1938. Arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, and three other saxophones playing harmony, the band became the most popular and com ...

on " A String of Pearls". Hackett referred to this solo as 'just a little exercise'. A dream come true for Hackett was his inclusion in Louis Armstrong's 1947 Town Hall Jazz Concert. In 1954, he appeared as a regular on the ABC

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...

The Martha Wright Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'', also known as ''The Packard Showroom''. His profile increased after he was hired by

as a cornet soloist, for seven of Gleason's mood music albums. Beginning in 1952, he appeared on Gleason's first

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...

album, '' Music for Lovers Only''. The record — as well as all of Gleason's next 10 albums — went gold. He appeared on six more of Gleason's albums. This association led directly to his signing with Capitol Records and performing trumpet and flugelhorn solos on several popular albums, including the best selling

concept albums A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Some ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

Mosaic Records Mosaic Records is an American jazz record company and label established in 1982 by Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie. It produces limited-edition box sets. The sets recordings are leased from the major record companies, usually for a three- or ...

released ''The Complete Capitol Bobby Hackett Solo Sessions'' on a five-CD limited edition set. Most of the tracks were from Gleason's mood music albums. According to the liner notes, Hackett received compensation of between $30 to $40 thousand for six albums for Gleason. In 1965, he toured with the singer

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

. In 1966 and 1967, he accompanied Bennett on two European tours. In the early 1970s, he performed separately with

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

and

Teresa Brewer Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American singer whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of th ...

. In 2012, Hackett was selected to be inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Bobby Hackett married Edna Lillian Lee Hackett (d. 2000) in 1937. The Hacketts lived primarily in New York City and spent summers on

Cape Cod, Massachusetts Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mon ...

. They had a daughter, Barbara (d. 2003); and a son, Ernie, who became a professional drummer. Hackett was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and was active with St. Cecile Lodge #568, a lodge specifically for musicians and artists. Hackett died in 1976 of a heart attack at the age of 61.

Discography

As leader

* ''Soft Lights and Bobby Hackett'' (Capitol, 1954) * ''In a Mellow Mood'' (Capitol, 1955) * ''Coast Concert'' (Capitol, 1956) * ''Gotham Jazz Scene'' (Capitol, 1957) * ''Rendezvous'' (Capitol, 1957) * ''Bobby Hackett At The Embers'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''Don't Take Your Love from Me'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''Jazz Ultimate'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''The Bobby Hackett Quartet'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''Blues with a Kick'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''Hawaii Swings'' (Capitol, 1960) * ''Dream Awhile'' (Columbia, 1960) * ''The Most Beautiful Horn in the World'' (Columbia, 1962) * ''Night Love'' (Columbia, 1962) * ''Bobby Hackett Plays Henry Mancini'' (Epic, 1962) * ''Plays the Music of Bert Kaempfert'' (Epic, 1964) * ''Hello Louis!: Plays the Music of Louis Armstrong'' (Epic, 1964) * ''Trumpets' Greatest Hits'' (Epic, 1965) * ''Trumpet de Luxe'' (CBS, 1966) * ''Creole Cookin'' (Verve, 1967) * ''That Midnight Touch'' (Project 3, 1967) * ''A Time for Love'' (Project 3, 1967) * ''Bobby/Billy/Brazil'' (Verve, 1968) * ''This Is My Bag'' (Project 3, 1969) * ''Live at the Roosevelt Grill'' (Chiaroscuro, 1970) * ''The Bobby Hackett 4'' (Hyannisport, 1972) * ''Bobby Hackett and Vic Dickenson at the Royal Box'' (Hyannisport, 1972) * ''What a Wonderful World'' (Flying Dutchman, 1973) * ''Strike Up the Band'' (Flying Dutchman, 1975) * ''Live in New Orleans'' (Riff, 1976) * ''Featuring Vic Dickenson at the Roosevelt Grill'' (Chiaroscuro, 1977) * ''Tin Roof Blues'' (Honey Dew, 1977) * ''Butterfly Airs Vol. 1'' (Honey Dew, 1977) * ''Jazz Session'' (CBS, 1980)

As sideman

With

* ''Music for Lovers Only'' (Capitol, 1952) * ''Music to Make You Misty'' (Capitol, 1953) * ''Music, Martinis, and Memories'' (Capitol, 1954) * ''Jackie Gleason Presents Autumn Leaves'' (Capitol, 1955) * ''Music to Remember Her'' (Capitol, 1955) * ''Music to Change Her Mind'' (Capitol, 1956) * ''Jackie Gleason Presents Music for the Love Hours'' (Capitol, 1957) * ''Jackie Gleason Presents Lush Musical Interludes for That Moment'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''The Most Beautiful Girl in the World'' (Pickwick/33, 1967) With others ( Frankie Laine 1955 'Te Amo') *

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

, ''Town Hall'' (RCA Victor, 1957) *

, '' The Very Thought of You'' (Columbia, 1965) * Tony Bennett, '' A Time for Love'' (Columbia, 1966) *

, ''Good News'' (Signature, 1974) *

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for At ...

, ''

'' (Atlantic, 1957) * Jim Cullum Jr., ''Goose Pimples'' (Audiophile, 1967) *

Eddie Condon Albert Edwin Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4, 1973) was an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader. A leading figure in Chicago jazz, he also played piano and sang. Early years Condon was born in Goodland, Indiana, the son of J ...

, ''Bixieland'' (credited as Pete Pesci, Columbia, 1955) * Eddie Condon, ''Midnight in Moscow'' (Epic, 1962) * Eddie Condon, ''Eddie Condon On Stage'' (Saga, 1973) *

, ''

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) *Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'gi ...

'' (Perception, 1971) *

, ''

The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert ''The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert'' by Benny Goodman, Columbia Records catalogue item SL-160, is a two- disc LP of swing and jazz music recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16, 1938. First issued in 1950, the landmark ...

'' (Columbia, 1950) * Bill Kenny, ''

I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" is a 1932 song recorded by Bing Crosby with Orchestral Accompaniment. The music was composed by Victor Young, with lyrics written by Ned Washington and Bing Crosby. The song is a jazz and pop standar ...

'' (Decca, 1951) *

, '' A String of Pearls'' (Bluebird, 1941) * Glenn Miller, ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'' (Victor, 1942) *

, '' I've Got a Crush on You'' (Columbia, 1947) * Frank Sinatra, '' Body and Soul'' (Columbia, 1947) *

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 1 ...

, ''Jack Teagarden!!!'' (Verve, 1962) * Lee Wiley, ''Night in Manhattan'' (Columbia, 1955)

References

External links

Bobby Hackett recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

Biography

Personal life

Discography

As leader

As sideman

References

External links

Further reading