Putney Dandridge

Louis "Putney" Dandridge (* 13. January 1902 in Richmond , Virginia ; † 15. February 1946 in Wall Township, New Jersey ) was an American vaudeville and jazz - pianist , bandleader and singer.

biography

Putney Dandridge began his career as a pianist in 1918 in a revue called The Drake and Walker Show . In 1930 he worked for a time as a companion to the legendary tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and appeared in the musical Brown Buddies .

After touring Illinois and the Great Lakes States, Dandridge settled in Cleveland , Ohio , where he formed his own band, in which guitarist Lonnie Johnson , among others, participated. This period lasted until 1934 when he was given the opportunity to perform solo. With the show he also came to New York City , where he performed for a long time at Hickory House , one of the legendary jazz clubs on 52nd Street, and other clubs. From 1935 to 1936 he recorded several records under his own name for Vocalion , on which musicians such as Roy Eldridge , Teddy Wilson , Henry "Red" Allen , Buster Bailey , John Kirby , Chu Berry , Cozy Cole and others participated. The last recordings were made in December 1936 with Doc Cheatham and Bobby Stark . In the late 1930s, Dandridge disappeared from the music scene; It is speculated whether illness forced him to withdraw. He died in Wall Township, New Jersey, aged 44 .

Discographic notes

• Putney Dandridge 1935-1936 (Classics)
• Putney Dandridge 1936 (Classics)

literature

• Richard Cook , Brian Morton : The Penguin Guide of Jazz on CD . 6th edition. Penguin, London 2002, ISBN 0-14-051521-6 .
• Bielefeld catalog, 1988 & 2002

swell

1. ^ Stearns, Marshall & Jean. Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance . Page 155. Da Capo Press, 1994
2. ↑ Sallis, James. The Guitar Players: One Instrument and Its Masters in American Music . Page 44. University of Nebraska Press, 1994

Web links

• Putney Dandridge Biography in the All Music Guide