Charlie Irvis (May 6, 1899 – 1939) 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 ...

trombonist, best known for performing in

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

's band.

Career

Irvis played with

Bubber Miley Bubber is a nickname and surname which may refer to: People: * Bubber or Bubba Brooks (1922-2002), American jazz tenor saxophonist * James Bubber Epps (born 1943), American politician * Clarence James Bubber Jonnard (1897-1977), American Major Leag ...

in his youth and then with blues singer

Lucille Hegamin Lucille Nelson Hegamin (November 29, 1894 – March 1, 1970) was an American singer and entertainer and an early African-American blues recording artist. Life and career Lucille Nelson was born in Macon, Georgia, the daughter of John and Minnie ...

and her Blue Flame Syncopators from 1920 to 1921. Following this he played with Willie "The Lion" Smith and with

's orchestra (1924–1926), as well as recording occasionally with Clarence Williams between 1923 and 1927. Irvis, along with friends Miley and Tricky Sam Nanton, all contributed to the development of "jungle sounds" ( growl effects) in trombone playing. After leaving Ellington's band, he recorded with

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and singer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. A widely popular star ...

(1927, 1929) and played with Charlie Johnson (1927–1928) and

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe ( Lemott, later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American blues and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer of Louisiana Creole descent. Morton was jazz ...

(1929–1930). Some of his latest recordings were in 1931 with Miley again, and shortly thereafter with Elmer Snowden.

Personal life

After the early 1930s, Irvis apparently stopped playing, and died around 1939 in obscurity.

References

1939 deaths 1899 births American jazz trombonists American male trombonists Musicians from New York (state) Duke Ellington Orchestra members 20th-century American trombonists American male jazz musicians 20th-century American male musicians {{US-jazz-trombonist-stub