Jesse Stone
| Jesse Stone | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jesse Albert Stone |
| Also known as | Charles (or Chuck) Calhoun |
| Born |
16 November 1901 Atchison, Kansas, United States |
| Died | 1 April 1999 (aged 97) Altamonte Springs, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Rhythm and blues, jazz, rock and roll, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, arranger, songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | c.1920–1956 |
| Labels | Atlantic, others |
| Associated acts | The Blues Serenaders, Chick Webb, Big Joe Turner, others |
| Website | stoneiscalhoun |
Jesse Albert Stone (November 16, 1901 – April 1, 1999) was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres. He also used the pseudonyms Charles Calhoun and Chuck Calhoun.
Ahmet Ertegün once stated that "Jesse Stone did more to develop the basic rock 'n' roll sound than anybody else."
Born in Atchison, Kansas, United States, Stone grew up in Kansas, where he was influenced by a wide array of styles. He came from a musical family who put on minstrel shows, and performed with a trained dog act at the age of 4. By 1926 he had formed a group, the Blue Serenaders, and cut his first record, "Starvation Blues", for Okeh Records in 1927. For the next few years he worked as a pianist and arranger in Kansas City, recording with Julia Lee among others, and then in the 1930s organised a larger orchestra.
Duke Ellington got Stone's orchestra booked at the Cotton Club in 1936, and Ellington put Stone up free of charge in his apartment for four months. Over the next few years Stone worked as a bandleader at the Apollo Theatre, and more widely in Harlem as a songwriter and arranger, with Chick Webb's band (which included Louis Jordan), Jimmie Lunceford, and many others. He made some recordings under his own name in the 1930s and 1940s.
In 1941, Stone became musical director for the all-female band, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. He left after two years.
Stone's early writings show a deep blues influence. An early success was "Idaho", recorded by several artists, with the Benny Goodman version peaking at # 4 (pop) in 1942. The recording by Guy Lombardo sold three million copies. Jimmy Dorsey recorded his composition "Sorghum Switch", later retitled "Cole Slaw" by Louis Jordan. Stone also recorded novelty blues records for RCA Records, and wrote the standard "Smack Dab in the Middle".
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