Bubber Miley

James "Bubber" Miley (born April 3, 1903 in Aiken , South Carolina , † May 20, 1932 in New York City ) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer.

Life

After serving 18 months in the Navy , Miley played in various New York jazz clubs from 1923, most recently with Elmer Snowden's " Washingtonians ". The regular line-up of this band, including Bubber Miley, was taken over by Duke Ellington in 1926 and formed the first Ellington orchestra. In the years up to 1929 a number of historical Ellington recordings such as East St. Louis Toodle-Oo and Black and Tan Fantasy were made , which were decisively shaped by Miley's solos. Miley, who was considered unreliable due to his alcohol addiction and was known to often sleep on stage during performances, left the Ellington Orchestra in 1929 and played with the bands of King Oliver , Jelly Roll Morton and Hoagy Carmichael for the next two years , where he can also be heard on some recordings together with Bix Beiderbecke . Bubber Miley died in 1932 of complications from alcohol abuse and tuberculosis .

meaning

Bubber Miley, together with trombonist Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, created the growl style, in which the trumpet valves are only partially depressed while a plunger damper is moved with the left hand in front of the bell of the instrument. The tones produced in this way with their wah-wah effect formed an essential element of the timbre of the so-called jungle style , for which the Ellington Orchestra was known in its early years and which made up a large part of its success. After Miley's departure, the tradition of this game was continued at Ellington by Cootie Williams .

According to Schuller, Miley had a talent for melodic composition and his ability to create specific timbres; its importance for the classical melody in jazz is underestimated. Probably he has the more significant part in the compositions created with Ellington East St. Louis Toodle-Oo , Black and Tan Fantasy and Creole Love Call .

Secondary literature

• Gunther Schuller: Early Jazz. Its roots and musical development. New York, etc .: Oxford University Press 1986; ISBN 0-19-504043-0 .

Remarks

1. ↑ Schuller, Early Jazz, pp. 326f.