King Kolax (born William Little, November 6, 1912 – December 18, 1991) 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 ...

trumpeter and bandleader.

Biography

William Little was born in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the List of United States cities by populat ...

in 1912; he misleadingly claimed he was born in 1918 in later years. While young his family moved to Chicago, where he studied music under Walter Dyett. He completed a degree at the

Chicago Conservatory of Music The Music Conservatory was founded in 1867 as the Chicago Musical College, a conservatory. In 1954, the Chicago Musical College became part of Roosevelt University Roosevelt University is a private university with campuses in Chicago and Sc ...

in the early 1930s and played in dance bands in Chicago during the decade. Around 1938, he became bandleader of one of the groups; this ensemble toured the U.S. and continued playing regularly at venues such as the Savoy Theater and the 65 Club. In 1939,

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

played in his band. Kolax formed another band in 1943 and again toured the American south. He continued touring throughout the country and on military bases within the U.S. through 1946. In May 1946, his group broke up and Kolax joined

Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously ...

's big band with which he made his first recordings. Eckstine's band ended before the end of the year, so Kolax organized another band late in 1946, which lasted until May 1947;

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

was a member of this ensemble. After the demise of his band, Kolax returned to Chicago to play in small groups. In 1948 he played in Sonny Parker's band same year and recorded for the Opera label as a leader and singer. He had a steady job at the Ritz Lounge in 1949 and played in J. T. Brown's band in 1951. Establishing a new band of his own, he recorded for J.O.B. in a session that featured his blues singing. In 1952, he backed Joe Williams on his singles for Checker. While playing at the Paris Club in 1953, Kolax recorded with Danny Overbea, also for Checker. That same year, Kolax and orchestra backed The Flamingos on Chance. He also led orchestras behind

Mabel Scott Mabel Bernice Scott (April 30, 1915 – July 20, 2000) was an American gospel music and R&B vocalist. She lived in New York and Cleveland before arriving on the West Coast blues scene in 1942. Mabel is probably remembered more for her 1948 hit ...

and Rudy Greene. He recorded again for Vee-Jay at the end of 1954 and in September 1955. Kolax made regular engagements at hotels and ballrooms throughout the 1950s in Chicago and elsewhere; he had a working relationship with

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

, who wrote arrangements for him. In the second half of the decade Kolax recorded with Earl Pugh, Brooks & Brown, Clyde Williams, and Harvey Ellington; in the early 1960s records followed with Wilbur White, The Chanteurs,

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (born December 8, 1939) is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

McKinley Mitchell McKinley Mitchell (December 25, 1934 – January 18, 1986) was an American Chicago-based blues and rhythm and blues singer, who started out performing gospel music. His first recorded single was "Rock Everybody Rock" for Boxer Records in 1959. His ...

Otis Rush Otis Rush Jr. (April 29, 1934 – September 29, 2018) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. His distinctive guitar style featured a slow-burning sound and long bent notes. With qualities similar to the styles of other 1950s art ...

, and

The Vondells ''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 m ...

. Kolax became an A&R representative for Marvello Records, owned by the Chicago businessman James P. Johnson, between 1961 and 1965. Sporadic recording followed later in the 1960s both as a leader and behind

Willie Mabon Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scre ...

Brother Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz er ...

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

, and

Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "the Honeydripper". Career Sykes was born the son of a musician in Elmar, Arkansas. "Just a little old sawmill town", Sykes said of his birthplace. The ...

, whose August 1970 recording session was Kolax's last. Kolax had a position in the Chicago Federation of Musicians, and union rules prevented him from performing and holding office simultaneously. He retired around 1981 and died in Chicago ten years later after suffering from Alzheimer's disease for an extended period.

Discography

As sideman

, ''1946–1947'' (Classics, 1998) * Billy Eckstine, ''The Legendary Big Band'' (Savoy, 2002) *

, '' Tobacco Road'' (Atlantic, 1967) *

, ''

Feel Like Blowing My Horn ''Feel Like Blowing My Horn'' is an album by blues musician Roosevelt Sykes, recorded in 1970 and released by the Delmark label in 1973.Joe Williams, ''Joe Williams'' (Savoy, 1984)

References

External links

Biography and discography
from

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolax, King 1912 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American musicians 20th-century trumpeters American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Checker Records artists Neurological disease deaths in Illinois Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Musicians from Chicago Jazz musicians from Missouri Vee-Jay Records artists Jazz musicians from Illinois 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians