Harold Betters

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Harold Betters (born March 21, 1928 in Connellsville , Pennsylvania - † October 11, 2020 ) was an American jazz musician ( trombone ) who was active in the Pittsburgh music scene .

Live and act

Betters 'parents owned the Betters' Grill and Hotel nightspot , his older brother Jim was a trumpeter, and his younger brother Jerry sang and played drums. Harold began playing the trombone in elementary school; his first role model was Tommy Dorsey , then Jack Teagarden , JJ Johnson and Bennie Green . He attended Ithaca College for two yearsin New York and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for two years before being drafted into the Army, where he was a member of the 308th Army Band at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. After his discharge from the army in 1952, he moved to Boston, where he met his wife Marjorie, with whom he started a family. During that decade, he toured in a band with comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory and then with the Ray Charles Orchestra. Because the tours did not appeal to him, Betters and his family settled in the Pittsburgh area, where he subsequently appeared as Mr. Trombone .

Betters played in combos, which included his brother Jerry, and recorded a number of albums, beginning in 1962 with "At the Encore". His discography included the 1964 hit "Do Anything You Wanna" on Gateway and three albums for Reprise Records such as Out of Sight and Sound . Legends who jammed with the Betters brothers in places like the Crawford Grill included Max Roach , Dizzy Gillespie , Stanley Turrentine , Roy Eldridge, and Sonny Rollins . After playing in Shadyside at The Encore club in the 1960s , he was discovered by Merv Griffin , who booked him for his variety show. He also made several appearances on The Mike Douglas Show when it was based in Cleveland. In the field of jazz, according to Tom Lord , he was involved in 15 recording sessions between 1962 and 2001, most recently with his album With Friends Live in New York . a. with Cecil Brooks III .

Discographic notes

  • At the Encore (Gateway, 1962), with John Hughes, Al O'Brien, Joe Ashliman
  • Harold Betters Takes Off (Gateway, 1963), with John Hughes, Al O'Brien, Russ Lewellen
  • Even Better (Gateway, 1964)
  • Harold Betters / Slide Hampton : Harold Betters Meets Slide (Gateway, 1964), with John Thomas or John Hughes, Al O'Brien or Bobby Boswell, Jerry Betters
  • Ram-Bunk-Shush ( Reprise , 1965), with John Thomas, Barry Galbraith , Chuck Ramsey, Russ Lewellen, Slide Hampton (arr)
  • Funk City Express (Reprise, 1966), with Don Randi , Al Casey , Larry Nectal

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Obituary: Harold Betters, known as' Mr. Trombone, 'dies at 92nd Post Gazette, October 12, 2020, accessed October 13, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Tom Lord The Jazz Discography (online, accessed October 1, 2020)
personal data
SURNAME Betters, Harold
SHORT DESCRIPTION American jazz musician (trombone)
DATE OF BIRTH March 21, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Connellsville , Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH October 11, 2020