Vernon Alley
Vernon Alley (* 26. May 1915 in Winnemucca , Nevada , † 3. October 2004 in San Francisco , California ) was an American jazz - bassist and radio presenter .
Live and act
Alley grew up in San Francisco, learned clarinet and piano, and later bass. His brother Eddie played the drums. Alley's professional career as a musician began in 1937 with Wes People and Saunders King orchestras . In 1940 he went to New York City to Lionel Hampton , switched to Count Basie in 1942 (guest appearance with his orchestra in the musical film Reville With Beverly ) and returned to San Francisco that same year. There he played in the navy jazz band during the Second World War.
In addition, from the mid-1940s, Alley appeared with his own trio in San Francisco clubs and led the Hansband in the Black Hawk jazz club . From the 1940s to the 1960s he also moderated jazz programs on radio and television. He also appeared with Jimmy Witherspoon , Allen Smith and Ralph Sutton .
He was also involved in the local black musicians' union and took part in the merger with the white union in 1960. In the 1980s, Alley was a volunteer for the city (Human Rights Commission, Arts Commission).
literature
- 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 .
- Leonard Feather , Ira Gitler : The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press, New York 1999, ISBN 0-19-532000-X .
Web links
- Vernon Alley Biography in the All Music Guide
- Vernon Alley, 1915-2004, Dean of San Francisco jazz obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle
- Vernon Alley, 89; Jazz bass player in San Francisco Obituary in the Los Angeles Times
- Vernon Alley at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Local 6 Archives: Eddie Alley - A Life of Firsts on Musicians Union Local Six
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Alley, Vernon |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz bassist and radio presenter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 26, 1915 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Winnemucca , Nevada |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 3, 2004 |
| Place of death | San Francisco , California |