Billy Mackel
John William "Billy" Mackel (born December 28, 1912 in Baltimore ; † May 5, 1986 ibid) was an American jazz guitarist (electric guitar) and banjo player.
Mackel first played the banjo in the Baltimore area and switched to guitar in the 1930s. In the early 1940s he had his own band before joining Lionel Hampton in 1944 , with whom he stayed for over thirty years and with whom he made many recordings. Besides playing in the rhythm section , he also had solos and arranged for the band.
He also recorded with Arnett Cobb , Herbie Fields and Milt Buckner in the 1940s and played with Billy Williams in the 1960s . In 1977 he recorded under his own name (At Last, Barclay Studio, Paris) with Frankie Dunlop , drums, Eddie Chamblee , saxophone, Milt Buckner, electronic organ, Michel Gaudry , bass.
Lexical entry
- Ian Carr , Digby Fairweather , Brian Priestley : Rough Guide Jazz. The ultimate guide to jazz music. 1700 artists and bands from the beginning until today. Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 1999, ISBN 3-476-01584-X .
Web links
- Billy Mackel at Allmusic (English)
- The Billy Mackel Story
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mackel, Billy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mackel, John William (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz guitarist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 28, 1912 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Baltimore |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 5, 1986 |
| Place of death | Baltimore |