Arthur Whetsol

Arthur "Artie" Whetsol , also Arthur Whetsel , (* 1905 in Punta Gorda , Florida; † January 5, 1940 in New York City , New York) was an American jazz trumpeter, the original line-up and then from 1928 to 1937 the Duke Belonged to Ellington Band.

Whetsol grew up in Washington, DC , where he befriended Ellington. He was part of the original line-up of Duke Ellington's band, the quintet "The Washingtonians" . With Ellington he went to New York in September 1923 to join Elmer Snowden's band (first recordings 1924). In 1924 he temporarily gave up music to study medicine at Howard University , so that he was not heard on the first Ellington recordings in November 1924.

In 1928 he was back in the band, where he took part in some of the most famous recordings of the " Cotton Club " period (solos in "Black Beauty", "Black and Tan Fantasy", "The Mooche", " Mood Indigo ") . His lyrical style contrasted with that of Bubber Miley and served Ellington as a model for later occupations (such as his successor Harold Shorty Baker ). In 1937 he left the Ellington Orchestra for health reasons (a mental illness).

literature

James Lincoln Collier : Duke Ellington. Genius of jazz . Ullstein, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-548-35839-X .

Individual evidence

↑ Whetsol, son of an Adventist of the Seventh Day of Mexican origin, was actually called Schiefer by the surname, but took the maiden name of his mother (cf. Collier, p. 49).
↑ Gunther Schuller “Early Jazz”, p. 341 mentions remarks by Ellington, who was particularly impressed by the effect of the melancholy game Whetsol in the funeral march of the “Black and Tan Fantasy”. Collier notes: "Ellington loved his wistful tone, which he said caused tears in the audience"

personal data
SURNAME	Whetsol, Arthur
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Whetsol, Artie (nickname); Whetsel, Arthur
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American jazz trumpeter
DATE OF BIRTH	1905
PLACE OF BIRTH	Punta Gorda , Florida
DATE OF DEATH	January 5, 1940
Place of death	New York City , New York

[1] Whetsol, son of an Adventist of the Seventh Day of Mexican origin, was actually called Schiefer by the surname, but took the maiden name of his mother (cf. Collier, p. 49).

[2] Gunther Schuller “Early Jazz”, p. 341 mentions remarks by Ellington, who was particularly impressed by the effect of the melancholy game Whetsol in the funeral march of the “Black and Tan Fantasy”. Collier notes: "Ellington loved his wistful tone, which he said caused tears in the audience"