Barney Bigard
| Barney Bigard | |
|---|---|
Bigard in 1947
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Barney Bigard |
| Born |
March 3, 1906 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | June 27, 1980 (aged 74) |
| Genres | Swing, Dixieland |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader |
| Instruments | Clarinet, tenor saxophone |
| Associated acts |
Duke Ellington Louis Armstrong King Oliver |
Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone.
Bigard was born in New Orleans to a family of Creoles. He attended local schools and studied music and clarinet with Lorenzo Tio. In the early 1920s he moved to Chicago, where he worked with King Oliver and others. During this period, much of his recording, including with clarinetist Johnny Dodds, was on tenor saxophone, which he played often with great lyricism, as on Oliver's "Someday Sweetheart".
In 1927 Bigard joined Duke Ellington's orchestra in New York, where he was part of the Harlem Renaissance. He played with Ellington until 1942. They played primarily at the Cotton Club. With Ellington, he was the featured clarinet soloist, while also doing section work on tenor saxophone.
After leaving Ellington's orchestra, Bigard moved to Los Angeles, California. He did soundtrack work for Hollywood film studios and had an onscreen featured role with an all-star band led by Louis Armstrong in the film New Orleans (1947). He began working with trombonist Kid Ory's group during the late 1940s. He later worked with Armstrong's touring band, the All Stars, and others. Bigard appeared and played in the movie St. Louis Blues (1958), with Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey and Eartha Kitt.
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Wikipedia