Orie Frank Trumbauer (May 30, 1901 – June 11, 1956) 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 ...

saxophonist of the 1920s and 1930s. His main instrument was the

C melody saxophone The C melody saxophone, also known as the C tenor saxophone, is a saxophone pitched in the key of C one whole tone above the common B-flat tenor saxophone. The C melody was part of the series of saxophones pitched in C and F intended by the in ...

, a now-uncommon instrument between an alto and tenor saxophone in size and pitch. He also played

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

and several other instruments. He was a composer of sophisticated sax melodies, one of the major small group jazz bandleaders of the 1920s and 1930s. His landmark recording of " Singin' the Blues" with

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 a ...

and Eddie Lang in 1927, was inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

in 1977. His major recordings included "Krazy Kat", "Red Hot", "Plantation Moods", "Trumbology", "

Tailspin In flight dynamics (fixed-wing aircraft), flight dynamics a spin is a special category of Stall (fluid dynamics), stall resulting in Autorotation (fixed-wing aircraft), autorotation (uncommanded roll) about the aircraft's longitudinal axis and ...

", "Singin' the Blues", "Wringin' an' Twistin'", and " For No Reason at All in C" with Bix Beiderbecke and Eddie Lang, and the first hit recording of "

Georgia On My Mind "Georgia on My Mind" is a 1930 song written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell, and first recorded that same year by Carmichael at the RCA Studios New York#24th St, RCA Victor Studios at 155 East 24th Street in New York City. The song has ...

" in 1931. "Tram" was described as one of the most influential and important jazz saxophonists of the 1920s and 1930s, particularly influencing the sound of

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

. He is also remembered for his musical collaborations with

, a relationship that produced some of the finest and most innovative jazz records of the late 1920s. Trumbauer and Beiderbecke also collaborated with jazz guitarist Eddie Lang. He was featured in the 2001 documentary ''

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 ...

'' by

Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV or the Nati ...

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

on the topic of the first jazz soloists and as an iconic image to symbolize jazz music.

Life and career

Born of part

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

ancestry in

Carbondale, Illinois Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, Illinois, United States, within the Southern Illinois region informally known as "Little Egypt". As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 25,083, making it the most po ...

, United States, Trumbauer grew up in

St Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

, the son of a musical mother who directed saxophone and theater orchestras. His first important professional engagements were with the Edgar Benson and Ray Miller bands, shortly followed by the Mound City Blue Blowers, a local group that became nationally famous through their recordings on Brunswick. Trumbauer recruited Bix Beiderbecke for Jean Goldkette's Victor Recording Orchestra, of which he became musical director. After leaving Goldkette, he and Beiderbecke worked briefly in

Adrian Rollini Adrian Francis Rollini (June 28, 1903 – May 15, 1956) was an Americans, American jazz instrumentalist, multi-instrumentalist who primarily played the bass saxophone, piano, and vibraphone. He is also known for playing novelty instruments such ...

's short lived New Yorkers band, then joined

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...

in 1927. The same year, Trumbauer signed a contract with

OKeh OKeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name originally was spelled "OkeH" from the init ...

and released a 78 recording of "Singin' the Blues", featuring Beiderbecke on cornet and Eddie Lang on guitar. "Singin' the Blues" was a jazz classic originally recorded and released by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1920. The Okeh recording became a hit. Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra recorded it in 1931 in the Trumbauer-Beiderbecke version. Trumbauer played with Whiteman for eight of the following nine years. He had a separate contract with OKeh from 1927 through 1930, he recorded some of the small group jazz recordings of the era, usually including Beiderbecke until the April 30, 1929, session. He recorded a handful of sides in 1931 for Brunswick. In 1932, he organized a band in Chicago and recorded for Columbia, but gave up the orchestra and returned to New York late in 1933. During 1934–1936, while again a member of Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, he also made a series of recordings for Brunswick and Victor, often including

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an United States, American jazz Trombone, trombonist and singer. He led both of his bands himself and was a sideman for Paul Whiteman's orchestra. From 1946 to 1951, he played ...

. In 1936 he led The Three T's, featuring the Teagarden brothers; in 1938, he and Mannie Klein started a band which they co-led; he billed himself as "Frank Trombar." In 1939, Trumbauer, a skilled pilot, left music (after recording a series of records for Varsity) to join the

Civil Aeronautics Authority The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the federal government of the United States, formed in 1940 from a split of the Civil Aeronautics Authority and abolished in 1985, that regulated A ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he was a test pilot with

North American Aviation North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F- ...

, and trained military crews in the operation of the

B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served ...

bomber. He continued to work for the CAA after the war, and also played in the NBC Orchestra. After 1947, although he continued to play and record, he earned most of his income in aviation.

Last years and death

Trumbauer died of a heart attack in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, where he had made his home for some years. He was 55 years old.

Legacy

acknowledged and cited Trumbauer as his main influence as a saxophonist. When interviewer François Positif asked Young about his influences, he stated that Frankie Trumbauer was his major influence: "So, it's Trumbauer?" Young replied: "That was my man." His life and career were documented in the biography ''Tram: The Frank Trumbauer Story'' by Philip R. Evans and Larry F. Kiner with William Trumbauer (Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers and Scarecrow Press Inc., 1994). He was featured in Episode 3, "Our Language", in the 2001 documentary ''

'' by

on the topic of pioneering jazz soloists. A photograph of him holding his Holton C-melody saxophone was one of the images chosen by Burns to symbolize jazz. The photo is featured on all the intros and outros as well as in Episode 3, "Our Language". His 1927 solo in "Singin' the Blues" is analyzed as well. He was known for double tonguing.

Honors

"Singin' the Blues", released by Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra featuring Bix Beiderbecke on cornet and Eddie Lang on guitar in 1927 as Okeh 40772-B, was inducted into the

in 1977. Frankie Trumbauer played the C-melody saxophone solos on the landmark jazz recording. In 2005, his 1927 recording of "Singin' the Blues" with Bix Beiderbecke and Eddie Lang was placed on the U.S. Library of Congress

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...

. In 2008, his recordings of "Ostrich Walk" and "There'll Come a Time" with Bix Beiderbecke were included on the soundtrack to the

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...

movie '' The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'', which was nominated for 13

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

s, based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story from '' Tales of the Jazz Age''. Ken Burns used a photograph of him in the 2001 documentary ''

'', on

, on the topic of pioneering jazz soloists and as an image to represent jazz music.

Compositions

Trumbauer's compositions include: * "Trumbology" (1927) * "Plantation Moods" with David Rose * "Red Hot", "Wringin' an' Twistin'" 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 ...

* "Barbed Wire Blues" * "Troubled" * "I Like That" * "Bass Drum Dan" * "Break it Down" * "I'm Glad" * "Choo Choo" * "Sun Spots" * "Eclipse" * "Meteor" * "Krazy Kat" with Chauncey Morehouse * "G Blues" * "

" with

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peopl ...

* "Crying All Day" * "Loved One" * "Apple Blossoms" with Joe Venuti, Lennie Hayton, and Eddie Lang * "Three Blind Mice" with Chauncey Morehouse * "The Mayor of Alabam'" * "Flight of a Haybag" * "Cinderella's Wedding Day" * "Runnin' Ragged" * " For No Reason at All in C" with

(1927), which was released as a single 78 on Okeh and subsequently reissued on Columbia and Parlophone.

Major recordings

*"I'm Glad"/"Flock O' Blues," Sioux City Six featuring Bix Beiderbecke and Miff Mole, recorded October 11, 1924, New York, released as Gennett 5569 *"Clarinet Marmalade"/"Singin' the Blues," recorded on February 4, 1927, in New York and released as Okeh 40772 *"Riverboat Shuffle"/"Ostrich Walk," recorded May 9, 1927, New York, Okeh 40822 *"I'm Coming, Virginia"/"

Way Down Yonder in New Orleans "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" is a popular song with music by Turner Layton and lyrics by Henry Creamer. First published in 1922, it was advertised by Creamer and Layton as "A Southern Song, without A Mammy, A Mule, Or A Moon", a dig at some of ...

", recorded on May 13, 1927, in New York and released as Okeh 40843 *" For No Reason at All in C"/"Trumbology," recorded on May 13, 1927, in New York and released as Okeh 40871, Columbia 35667, and Parlophone R 3419 *"Wringin' an' Twistin'," recorded on September 9, 1927, in New York and released as Okeh 40916 and Vocalion 3150 *"Krazy Kat" recorded September 28, 1927, New York Okeh 40903 *"Baltimore" b/w "Humpty Dumpty," recorded September 28, 1927, New York, Okeh 40926 *"Mississippi Mud" (vocal by Bing Crosby)/"There'll Come a Time (Wait and See)," January 9, 1928, New York, Okeh 40979 *"

Ol' Man River "Ol' Man River" is a show tune from the 1927 musical '' Show Boat'' with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the song in 1925. The song contrasts the struggles and hardships of African Americans with the endless, ...

" (From "Show Boat") recorded with Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra on January 11, 1928 in New York and released as Victor 21218-A and Victor 25249 with Bing Crosby on vocals and Bix Beiderbecke on cornet. No. 1 for 1 week *"Borneo"/"My Pet," recorded on April 10, 1928, in New York and released as Okeh 41039 *"

," recorded September 24, 1931, Chicago, Illinois, Brunswick 6159 *"Troubled"/"Plantation Moods," recorded November 20, 1934, New York, Victor 24834, HMV B.D. 158 in the UK

References

Sources

* Evans, Philip R. and Larry F. Kiner. ''Tram: The Frank Trumbauer Story''. Studies in Jazz ; No. 18. New Jersey: Institute of Jazz Studies - Metuchen. The Scarecrow Press, 1994. * Kinkle, Roger D. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz 1900-1950''. (Arlington House Publishers, 1974). * Ward, Geoffrey C. and Ken Burns. ''Jazz: A History of America's Music''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000.

External links

"A Toast for Tram"
by Ted Gioia a
Jazz.comFrankie Trumbauer 1901-1956
Red Hot Jazz Archive
Frank Trumbauer recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trumbauer, Frankie 1901 births 1956 deaths Dixieland jazz musicians American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Okeh Records artists Gennett Records artists Parlophone artists People from Carbondale, Illinois 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Illinois 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Benson Orchestra of Chicago members Victor Recording Orchestra members Mound City Blue Blowers members