Jay McShann

Jazz and boogie woogie pianist and bandleader Jay McShann was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on January 12, 1916. McShann’s illustrious career began in 1936 when he moved to Kansas City, Missouri and started his own big band. At various points during their career, the band featured Charlie Parker, Ben Webster, Al Hibbler, Gene Ramey, and many other musicians that went on to achieve greater fame in the jazz universe. The band’s earliest recordings were released under the name the Jay McShann Orchestra and featured Charlie Parker, who was with the group from 1937 to 1942. McShann was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, which brought an end to his band and stalled his career. When the war ended, he turned his attention to small group settings. Vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon joined McShann’s band and together, they recorded “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”, which became a hit in 1949. While he continued to perform, McShann’s talents weren’t rediscovered by the music industry until 1966. By this time in his career, he was also recognized as a vocalist alongside his piano work. He released many albums over the next 40 years including McShann’s Piano (1967), Confessin’ the Blues (1970), Going to Kansas City (1972), The Band That Jumps the Blues (1973), The Last of the Blue Devils (1978), After Hours (1982), Hootie! (2000), and Hootie Blues (2006). McShann also recorded with Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Al Casey, Helen Humes, Duke Robillard, and T-Bone Walker. He was honored with many awards during his lifetime including memberships in the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Jay McShann died on December 7, 2006 at the age of 90.

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