Frankie Trumbauer

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Frankie Trumbauer, in full Orie Frank Trumbauer, was an American jazz saxophonist of the 1920s and 1930s. He was born on 30 May 1901 in Carbondale, Illinois, grew up in St. Louis and died on 11 June 1956. His main instrument was the C-melody saxophone, an instrument that is rare today and falls between alto and tenor in size and pitch. He also played alto saxophone, bassoon and clarinet. His first important work was done in the orchestras of Edgar Benson and Ray Miller and with the Mound City Blue Blowers.

Music and breakthrough

Trumbauer brought Bix Beiderbecke into Jean Goldkette's orchestra, of which he became musical director. In 1927 he moved with Beiderbecke to Paul Whiteman, with whom he played for eight of the next nine years. That year he also signed with Okeh and recorded Singin' the Blues, with Beiderbecke on cornet and Eddie Lang on guitar. That recording became a hit and entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1977. Other well-known titles were Krazy Kat, Trumbology and For No Reason at All in C. In 1931 he made the first hit version of Georgia on My Mind.

Influence

Trumbauer is regarded as one of the most influential saxophonists of his time. Lester Young called him his idol and tried to get the sound of a C-melody on the tenor saxophone. His partnership with Beiderbecke produced some of the best jazz records of the late 1920s. In 2001 Ken Burns used a photograph of him with his saxophone as a symbol for jazz in the documentary Jazz.

Listening

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  Singin' the Blues · Frankie Trumbauer, 1927

In School of Rock

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