JC Higginbotham

Jay Higginbotham, Jimmy Ryan's Club, New York, 1940s. Photo: William P. Gottlieb .

JC Higginbotham or Jay C. Higginbotham (born May 11, 1906 in Social Circle , Georgia as Jack Higginbotham ; † May 26, 1973 in New York City , New York ) was an American jazz trombonist.

Live and act

Higginbotham grew up in Cincinnati and played at the beginning of his musical career with Wes Helvey (1924/25), Eugene Primos and Jimmy Harrison (1926/27). In the 1930s and 1940s he played a. a. in the swing bands of Luis Russell (from 1928), Benny Carter , Red Allen , Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson . From 1934 to 1936 he was also a member of the Mills Blue Rhythm Band . Between 1937 and 1940 he played with Louis Armstrong , who had taken over Russell's band. In the 1940s he was a member of the Red Allen sextet; from 1947 he had his own ensemble, 1955 in Cleveland and Boston , 1956–59 in New York; In 1958 he went on a European tour with Sammy Price .

In the 1960s he had a Dixieland band in New York City, in 1963 he visited Scandinavia, was briefly with Louis Armstrong again in 1964 and performed in 1968 in New York with Ray Nance . Higginbotham has made several records, both as a band leader and a sought-after accompanist. He can be heard on recordings by Joe King Oliver 1928/29, Jelly Roll Morton , the Chocolate Dandies and Benny Carter, Fats Waller 1929, Louis Armstrong 1929–40, Luis Russell 1929–31, Victoria Spivey 1929, Red Allen 1929–46 , Jack Purvis 1930, Fletcher Henderson 1931–37, Benny Carter 1933–46, Coleman Hawkins 1933/1940, Buster Bailey (1934), Mezz Mezzrow 1937, Lil Hardin Armstrong 1938 and 1945, Lionel Hampton 1939, Ida Cox 1939/40, Sidney Bechet in 1941, the Metronome All-Stars in 1941, 1942 and 1946, Pete Johnson in 1946, Buck Clayton 1953-66, Jay McShann 1957 and Tiny Grimes .

According to Carlo Bohländer , his powerful, rough tone and sudden dynamic outbursts were characteristic of Higginbotham's play.

His niece was the songwriter Irene Higginbotham (* 1918, † 1988); she wrote u. a Billie Holidays song " Good Morning Heartache " (1946); his nephew is the trombonist Joseph Orange .

Jay Higginbotham, Pete Johnson , Red Allen, and Lester Young , National Press Club, Washington, DC, ca.1940.
Photo by William P. Gottlieb.

Carlo Bohländer , Karl Heinz Holler: Reclams Jazzführer (= Reclams Universal Library. No. 10185). 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Reclam, Stuttgart 1977, ISBN 3-15-010185-9 .

personal data
SURNAME	Higginbotham, JC
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Higginbotham, Jay C .; Higginbotham, Jack (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American jazz trombonist
DATE OF BIRTH	May 11, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH	Social Circle , Georgia
DATE OF DEATH	May 26, 1973
Place of death	New York City , New York