Bill Berry (jazz musician)

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William R. "Bill" Berry (* 14. September 1930 in Benton Harbor (Missouri); † 13. October 2002 in Los Angeles ) was an American jazz - trumpet , cornet player and bandleader.

Live and act

Bill Berry studied after completing his military service in the Air Force from 1955 at the Cincinnati College of Music and at the Berklee College of Music with Herb Pomeroy . Berry then worked in the big bands of Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson , with whom he accompanied singer Chris Connor in 1961 ( Two's a Company ). From 1961 to 1964 he was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra (heard on Recollections of a Big Band Era , 1962), but also performed with the Billy Strayhorn Orchestra (1961) and Milt Jackson's Big Band (1963). As a member of the sextet of Coleman Hawkins he worked on the Impulse! Album Wrapped Tight (1965) with; In 1966 he was a member of the Earl Hines Orchestra. Afterwards he was one of the founders of the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra , in which he played from 1966 to 1968, also directed his New York Big Band and worked as a studio musician.

In 1971 he moved to Los Angeles , where he formed the LA Big Band ; He also went on tour with Louie Bellson and worked on promoting young talent at the Monterey Jazz Festival . He toured Japan with the Monterey Jazz Festival High School All Stars formed there . In the late 1970s he also worked with Frank Capp , Rosemary Clooney , Scott Hamilton, and Nat Pierce ; During this time he also worked with his LA Big Band, in which u. a. Cat Anderson , Blue Mitchell , Britt Woodman , Jimmy Cleveland , Jack Sheldon , Marshall Royal , Jack Nimitz and Frank Capp played. With his big band he accompanied the singer Ernestine Anderson in 1976 ; In 1991 he performed with her again the Ellington show Jump for Joy , which was reconstructed by Andrew Homzy and himself . Berry also had a quintet or septet at this time. a. with Mundell Lowe , Lew Tabackin , Bill Watrous and Monty Budwig . In the late 1990s he was still working with Jane Jarvis .

Discographic notes

  • Bill Berry's LA Big Band - Hello Rev. (Concord, 1977)
  • Billy Berry Quintet / Septet: Shortcake (Concord, 1978)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See. Jump for Joy (Chicago Reader)
personal data
SURNAME Berry, Bill
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Berry, William R.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH September 14, 1930
PLACE OF BIRTH Benton Harbor (Missouri)
DATE OF DEATH October 13, 2002
Place of death los Angeles