Hilton Jefferson (July 30, 1903 – November 14, 1968) 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 born in

Danbury, Connecticut Danbury ( ) is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2020 was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut, and the seventh-largest ...

, United States, perhaps best known for leading the

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

section from 1940 to 1949 in the

Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...

band. Jefferson is said to have been "a soft, delicate saxophone player, with an exquisite sensibility." In 1929, Jefferson began his professional career with

Claude Hopkins Claude Driskett Hopkins (August 24, 1903 – February 19, 1984) was an American jazz stride pianist and bandleader. Biography Claude Hopkins was born in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. Historians differ in respect of the actual date of his ...

, and throughout the 1930s was busy working for the

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

s of

Chick Webb William Henry "Chick" Webb (February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was an American jazz and swing music drummer and band leader. Early life Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to William H. and Marie Webb. The year of his birth is disputed. The ...

, Fletcher Henderson and

McKinney's Cotton Pickers McKinney's Cotton Pickers were an American jazz band, founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1926, and led by Bill McKinney (drummer), Bill McKinney, who expanded his Synco Septet to ten players. Cuba Austin took over for McKinney on drum ...

. From 1952–1953, Jefferson performed with

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 ...

, but ultimately became a bank guard to support himself with a steady income. In the 1950s, he continued to perform, especially with Rex Stewart and some former members of Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra.

Discography

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 improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

* ''

Afro The afro is a hair style created by combing out natural growth of afro-textured hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" '' Ebo ...

'' (Norgran, 1954) * '' Dizzy and Strings'' (Norgran, 1954) * '' Jazz Recital'' (Norgran, 1955) * ''The Big Band Sound of Dizzy Gillespie'' (Verve, 1973) With Rex Stewart * '' Rendezvous with Rex'' (Felsted, 1958) * ''The Big Reunion'' (Jazztone, 1958) * '' Henderson Homecoming'' (United Artists, 1959) * '' Porgy & Bess Revisited'' with

Cootie Williams Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter. Biography Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Yo ...

(Warner Bros., 1959) With others *

Buster Bailey William C. "Buster" Bailey (July 19, 1902 – April 12, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist. Career history Early career Buster Bailey was taught clarinet by classical teacher Franz Schoepp, who also taught Benny Goodman. Bailey gained his st ...

, '' All About Memphis'' (Felsted, 1958) *

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

, ''

Things Ain't What They Used to Be "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" is a 1942 jazz standard with music by Mercer Ellington and lyrics by Ted Persons. Background In 1941 there was a strike against the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, of which Duke Ellingt ...

'' (Swingville, 1961) * Tina Louise, ''It's Time for Tina'' (Urania, 1957) * Al Sears and Taft Jordan, '' Rockin' in Rhythm'' (Swingville, 1960) * Maxine Sullivan, ''Leonard Feather Presents Maxine Sullivan'' (Period, 1956) * Bob Wilber, ''For Saxes Only!'' (Music Minus One, 1962) *

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues and jazz singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, an ...

, '' Goin' to Kansas City Blues'' (RCA Victor, 1958)

References

External links

Hilton Jefferson 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 ...

1903 births 1968 deaths American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz alto saxophonists RCA Victor artists Entertainers from Danbury, Connecticut Duke Ellington Orchestra members 20th-century American saxophonists American male jazz musicians The Cab Calloway Orchestra members 20th-century American male musicians {{connecticut-stub