Jack Purvis (musician)

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Jack Purvis (born December 11, 1906 in Kokoma ( Indiana ); † March 30, 1962 in San Francisco ) was an American jazz trumpeter (also trombone, piano, vocals and other instruments, as well as composition). According to Digby Fairweather , he was best known for recording the piece “Copyin 'Louis” for Okeh in 1929 , which “consisted of nothing but set pieces from Armstrong's titles. At a time when Armstrong was at the height of his technical ability, you needed not only nerves but also dexterity. "

Live and act

Purvis learned trumpet and trombone at the school he left early and then embarked on a career as a professional musician. After school he went to Lexington (Kentucky) , where he worked with the Original Kentucky Night Hawks . In 1926/27 he played with Whitey Kaufman's Original Pennsylvanians . In 1929 he was part of Hal Kemp's band , with whom he also recorded, as well as with his own band, which he initially formed with Kemp's rhythm section , as well as with Smith Ballew , Ted Wallace , Rube Bloom , the California Ramblers , Roy Wilson's Georgia Crackers and the Carolina Club Orchestra . Musicians such as JC Higginbotham , Coleman Hawkins and Adrian Rollini were involved on his own recordings . In the next few years he also worked for the Dorsey Brothers and played the fourth trumpet with Fletcher Henderson . After stints with Fred Waring and Charlie Barnet , with whom he toured the southern states in 1933, he arranged for George Stoll and the Warner Brothers in California . His composition “Legends of Haiti” is written for a 110-man orchestra. In 1935 he played in New York City with Frank Froeba's Swing Band , with whom he made his last recordings, and then performed with Joe Haymes . In 1937 an article appeared on Down Beat with the headline: “What happened to Jack Purvis?” A year later there was an answer to the question when a concert with the band was broadcast on Radio WBAB from Texas State Prison he headed a prison inmate after being involved in a bank robbery. He remained in prison until 1947 and died in 1962 of city ​​gas poisoning .

Lexical entries

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Fairweather, in Jazz Rough Guide
  2. ^ Scott Yanow The Classic Jazz , Backbeat Books 2001
personal data
SURNAME Purvis, Jack
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Purvis, Okeh
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH December 11, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH Kokoma ( Indiana )
DATE OF DEATH March 30, 1962
Place of death San Francisco