They used their good rapport between them to break down barriers in the South with their music. Louis, who was African American, and Jack, a white American with German ancestry, went everywhere together despite it being a time of high racial tension. In a 1964 interview with radio personality Fred Robbins, Louis Armstrong reflected on the passing of Jack Teagarden and his love for the trombonist.
Big T, as he was affectionately known by his fellow musicians, brought a maturity and a solidity to the sound of the trombone and until late in his life played with a laconic grace that few, if any, on his instrument have equaled. Having wriggled out of violin lessons I kept away from musical instruments in spite of the fact that my Mum was a piano teacher, until at 17 in 1959, I discovered Jack Teagarden. He was an inspiration to many great trombonists, many of whom are on this list. My sole musical qualification is Grade 3 Violin, when I was about 10. July 1947 Caption from Down Beat: Jack Teagarden, Dick Carey, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett, Peanuts Hucko, Bob Haggart, Sid Catlett. Jack Teagarden Renowned as the king of the Blues Trombone, Jack Teagarden was a trombonist and singer. In the years following, he continued to lead small groups including Don Ewell, Max Kaminsky, and Dick Wellstood, as well as his siblings Charlie and Norma Teagarden. The emergence of Jack Teagarden as an important jazz stylist was a significant feature of the 1920s jazz scene. Photo, Print, Drawing Portrait of Jack Teagarden, Dick Carey, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett, Peanuts Hucko, Bob Haggart, and Sid Catlett, Town Hall, New York, N.Y., ca. He joined Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars in 1946.įive years later he went on to form his own jazz group, also called the All-Stars. After a stint as a star soloist and singer, in 1938, Jack started his big band which was successful musically, although not financially rewarding. In 1936 he played after hours at the Hickory House in New York for a month with Frankie Trumbauer and his brother Charlie Teagarden as the Three T's. He joined Ben Pollack's band in 1928 after some time working freelance. Trombonist and singer Jack Teagarden began playing professionally with local bands as a teenager, mainly in the southwest and in Texas, where he was born. In the 1920s before taking off for New York, Jack played with Peck Kelley's Bad Boys, the Original Southern Trumpeters, and Doc Ross's Jazz Bandits. Here at 428 Bourbon Street you will find a plaque marking the last place New Orleans style trombonist Jack Teagarden played.