Emmett Berry

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Emmett Berry (born July 23, 1915 in Macon , Georgia , † June 22, 1992 in Cleveland (Ohio) ) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Berry was the oldest of three children of a factory worker and studied classical trumpet after moving to Cleveland, but switched to jazz at the age of 18 and began playing in local bands. In 1932 he toured with Frank Terry's Chicago Nightingales. He moved to New York City, where he became a member of Fletcher Henderson's big band in 1936 , replacing Roy Eldridge as a soloist. Three years later he joined - when Fletcher Henderson broke up his band and was arranger of Benny Goodman - briefly the band of his brother Horace Henderson and then that of Earl Hines . From 1941 he played in Teddy Wilson's sextet , in which he also accompanied Billie Holiday in several recordings in 1941/2 . He then played in the 1940s in a CBS studio band directed by Raymond Scott (including with Ben Webster ), in the bands of Lucky Millinder (1942), Lionel Hampton (1943/44), the John Kirby sextet with the Pianist Eddie Heywood and with Roy Eldridge in his “Little Jazz Trumpet Ensemble”. In 1945 he joined the Count Basie Band, with which he remained connected for over 10 years; In 1947 he also recorded with his small group ensembles. When Basie broke up the big band in 1950, Berry temporarily worked as an elevator operator, played with the blues singer Jimmy Rushing and with Buck Clayton ; in 1951, he joined the band formed by Johnny Hodges, which was formed from Ellington musicians . In the 1950s he also played a. a. with Sammy Price (tour in France and North Africa 1956) and Cootie Williams . In 1957 he played with a Fletcher Henderson reunion band and was featured on the legendary CBS television show " The Sound of Jazz ". In 1959 and 1961 he toured again with Buck Clayton. In the 1960s he played with Dixieland musicians such as Wilbur de Paris and Peanuts Hucko . In 1970 he retired in Cleveland for health reasons.

Berry mostly worked as a (coveted) sideman, but also recorded in 1944 under his own name with the "Emmett Berry Five", u. a. with Don Byas .

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personal data
SURNAME Berry, Emmett
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz trumpeter
DATE OF BIRTH July 23, 1915
PLACE OF BIRTH Macon
DATE OF DEATH June 22, 1992
Place of death Cleveland (Ohio)