Sidney Catlett

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sid Catlett, New York City, circa March 1947.
Photograph by William P. Gottlieb .

Sidney Catlett (born January 17, 1910 in Evansville , Indiana , † March 25, 1951 in Chicago , Illinois ), called Big Sid Catlett because of his height , was an African-American drummer in jazz . He was “one of the most swinging, but also most influential and technically and soloistically accomplished drummers in jazz history ” ( Martin Kunzler ).

biography

Sid Catlett learned the piano in Chicago and then switched to drums. At the age of 18, his career began in 1928 with Darnell Howard . In 1930 he moved to New York City with Sammy Stewart's Orchestra and worked a. a. with Elmer Snowden (1931/32), Benny Carter (1932/33), the Chocolate Dandies , at McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1933-34) and the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra (1934-35), with Fletcher Henderson (1936), Don Redman (1936/37) and Louis Armstrong (1938-1942). In 1941 he was accepted into the band of Benny Goodman . In 1945 he played briefly with Duke Ellington and then belonged to Teddy Wilson's sextet. He also had his own band and played for Louis Armstrong's All Stars from 1947 to 1949 , becoming his favorite drummer. As an exception among the older drummers, Catlett was able to understand the transition to modern jazz and play in every style ( Dixieland , Swing , Bop ) with big band and combo. He also played recordings with the Chocolate Dandies the Esquire All Stars , Edmond Hall , John Hardee , Dizzy Gillespie ( Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 ), Lester Young , Coleman Hawkins , Billie Holiday , Duke Ellington and Sidney Bechet one . The last years of his life he was mostly in Chicago, where he played with Eddie Condon , but also appeared in New York with John Kirby .

In 1951 he developed severe pneumonia and died of a heart attack that year while visiting friends backstage at an Oran Page benefit concert.

Act

His imaginative and adaptable play is captured in the film Jammin 'the Blues (1944) by Gjon Mili . Catlett's most important recordings include Eddie Condon's Home Cooking and Spike Hughes ' Fanfare (1933), Fletcher Henderson's Blue Lou , Don Redman's Bugle Call Rag and Teddy Wilson's Warming Up (1938), Chu Berry's Sittin' In (1938), Louis Armstrong's Bye And Bye (1939), Harlem Stomp and Wolverine Stomp (1940), Do You Call That A Buddy (1941), A Song Is Born , Steak Face and Boff Boff (1947), Sidney Bechet's Wild Man Blues (1940), Lester Youngs Afternoon of a Basie-ite and Sometimes I'm Happy (1943), James P. Johnson's Victory Stride (1944), Dizzy Gillespies Shaw Nuff and Salt Peanuts (1945) and Mezzrow-Bechets House Party (1945).

meaning

Sid Catlett (left) with Freddie Robbins, WOV Office, New York City, circa June 1947. Photo: Gottlieb

Catlett already understood drumming as an improvisation of melodies and made it clear to the audience that drummers are also musicians ( Kenny Washington ). Kampmann particularly emphasizes the melodic quality of his solos and their logical structure. In 1996 Sid Catlett was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame .

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Kunzler points out that leading drummers of the next generation like Philly Joe Jones and Billy Taylor learned from him.
  2. ↑ according to Kunzler
  3. ↑ Article in Reclam's Jazzlexikon, cf. also coral and shawl

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Catlett, Sidney
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Catlett, Big Sid
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz drummer
DATE OF BIRTH January 17, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH Evansville , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH March 25, 1951
Place of death Chicago , Illinois