Shirley Clay

Shirley Clay (* 1902 in Charleston (Missouri) ; † February 7, 1951 in New York City ) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornet player.

Live and act

Clay came from the Midwest and began his career in the St. Louis area around 1920, playing with the Synco Jazzers around John Williams before moving to Chicago. There he played from 1926 cornet with Carroll Dickerson and a big band under the direction of Clifford King. As a session musician, he worked in the late 20s with Richard M. Jones ' Jazz Wizards, with whom he also accompanied blues singers like Chippie Hill , Hattie McDaniels and Sara Martin on recordings. During this time he also worked with Artie Starks ' Hot Five, Preston Jackson and His Uptown Band, Ma Rainey and Elzadie Robinson ("Humming Blues"). In 1929 he was with Earl Hines in the first record sessions of his orchestra for Victor. In the following decade he played with Harry Dial (1930), in New York with Don Redman (1932–36), Harlan Lattimore and His Connie's Inn Orchestra (1932), Ben Pollack (1933), Benny Goodman (1934), Claude Hopkins , Lil Armstrong (1937), Ethel Waters / Eddie Mallory (1938/39) and again in 1940 with Earl Hines. In the field of jazz he was involved in 64 recording sessions between 1926 and 1940. In the early 1940s he played in the bands of Horace Henderson , Leon Abbey and Cootie Williams ; Recordings were made with Cab Calloway . In his last years he led a big band with Edgar Battle ; he also worked with Manzie Johnson , Harry Dial and the Mills Brothers .