Gillespie, "Dizzy" John Birks (1917-1993) - one of the greatest pioneers of modern jazz in the history of this American art form, one of the countryís greatest trumpeters and bandleaders, and South Carolina's most celebrated jazz musician, composer and bandleader; born in Cheraw, South Carolina where his father was an amateur bandleader; he studied the trumpet at age 14 and prior to that, studied the trombone; some of his earliest gigs were with the Frankie Fairfax band where his nickname Dizzy was given to him because of his outlandish antics; he emerged in the 1940ís as a pioneer of bebop ñ the master of bebop trumpet players; self-taught musician who won a scholarship to formally study music at the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina; first recordings were with Teddy Hill's band where he replaced Roy Eldridge; he worked with Al Cooperís Savoy Sultans and Mercer Ellingtonís band in 1939; his most memorable gigs were with Cab Callowayís band (1939-1941) where he met Charlie Parker in Kansas City in 1940 and Cuban trumpeter, Mario Bauza from whom he learned Afro-Cuban rhythms; in 1941, he began playing nightly gigs at Harlemís Mintonís Playhouse; Gillespie worked with Lucky Millinder, Charlie Barnet, Les Hite, Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Stan Kenton, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Sonny Stitt, Kai Winding, Al McKibbon, and Earl ìFathaî Hines where he worked with Charlie Parker and others to develop bebop; his earliest bebop recording was his famous tune, ìSalt Peanutsî; other notable recordings are "Little John Special," ìGroovin' High," "Dizzy Atmosphere," and "Hot House"; in 1945 and later he organized his own bands and recorded under the Victor label ("Cubana Be/Cubana Bop," "Good Bait," "Manteca," and "Ool-Ya-Koo"), recorded on his own label (Dee Gee), toured around the world for the State Department in 1956 and with Norman Granzí Jazz at the Philharmonic, and recorded with Charlie Parker on the Debut and Clef labels; he led his own bands from the 1950s-1980s and featured several musicians in his big band including saxophonists Jimmy Heath, James Moody, John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef and others; his rhythm section consisted of John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke and Ray Brown that later became the original Modern Jazz Quartet; he was elected by the Readers into the Down Beat Hall of Fame in 1960, and was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor in 1990; his autobiography, To Be or Not to Bop: The Autobiography of Dizzy Gillespie was written with Gillespie by Charleston-native and jazz historian/author, Dr. Wilmot ìAlî Fraser

Hamilton, Jimmy (1917-1994) - born in Dillon, SC, Hamilton was a multi-instrumentalist who played the clarinet, trombone and later piano, trumpet and saxophones; his first professional gigs were in Teddy Wilsonís band (1939-41), Benny Carterís Sextet (1941-42), Lucky Millinder, Jimmy Mundy, Eddie Heywood, and then joined Duke Ellington for 25 years (1943-1968) having replaced Chauncey Haughton; with Duke, he was featured on clarinet on ìAir Conditioned Jungle,î ìAd Lib on Nippon,î and many, many others; his discography includes Canít Help Swinging (1961), Swing Low Sweet Clarinet (1960), Rediscovered Live at the Buccaneer (1985), Jimmy Hamilton and the New York Jazz Quintet (1991), among others; he also recorded with Billie Holiday; a very skilled musician with an impeccable technique; Hamilton moved to the Virgin Islands after his long stint with Duke where he taught music in the public schools; he died in 1994 in St. Croix

Johnson, Ella (1923-2004) - born in Darlington, SC; sister of Buddy Johnson; singer with her brotherís band and responsible for many of the bands hits; made her first record - ìPlease Mr. Johnsonî in 1940 with her brotherís band; she recorded ìSince I Fell for Youî in 1945 and stayed with the band in the late 1950s also making solo appearances; with the band, and on the Mercury label, she recorded many hits (ìHittiní on Me,î ìIím Just Your Foolî); she was often compared to Billie Holiday, though Ella had her own distinctive style

Johnson, ìBuddyî Woodrow Wilson (1915-1977) - born in Darlington, SC; pianist, arranger, and bandleader for a large blues band that had tremendous success performing to sold-out crowds in the 1940s-1950s featuring balladeers, Arthur Prysock, Etta Jones (1943-44), Nolan Lewis and Floyd Ryland; began piano lessons at age 4 and remained interested in classical music ñ in fact, he composed his ìSouthland Suiteî with vocal work by his sister, Ella and his ìPiano Concertoî which he performed at Carnegie Hall in 1948; went to New York and played piano for The Cotton Club Revue; toured with a revue in Europe until the war broke out; recorded for Decca Records ñ his first recording was ìJamminí in Georgiaî and his composition, ìStop Pretendingî (So Hep You See) in 1939 became a number one hit; he had a 9-piece orchestra by 1941 with rhythm and blues hits (ìLetís Beat Out Some Love,î ìBaby Donít You Cry,î ìWhen My Man Comes Home,î ìFine Brown Frame,î and ìThatís the Stuff You Gotta Watchî); the band was so successful that it called its music ìWalk ëEm Rhythmî which meant to the fans to get ready to dance; their performances took them to the Savoy Ballroom (New York and Los Angeles) and throughout the country, though mainly in the South; he moved to Mercury Records in 1953 and recorded hits with Ella as vocalist; mostly known as a rhythm and blues musician, his success was in the South; played at the Savoy Ballroom; sister, Ella contributed much to the success of the band and the selling of his records; the film, ìThe Jackie Robinson Storyî used Buddyís 1947 hit, ìDid You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ballî in the motion picture; throughout the bandís success, South Carolinian, Purvis Henson (tenor saxophonist) was a constant presence in the bandís reed section

Jones, Etta Jones (1928-2001) - born in Aiken, SC but never lived there - grew up in New York; a singer who started her professional debut at age 16 on the road with Buddy Johnsonís band in 1948; debuted on record with Barney Bigardís pickup band (1944) singing ìEvil Gal Bluesî which became a hit for Dinah Washington, and recorded other songs (1946-47) for RCA, and many for Prestige (1960-65); performed with J.C. Heard (1948), Earl Hines Sextet (1949-52), and toured Japan with Art Blakey (1970); her version of ìDonít Go to Strangersî (1960) was a big hit; she performed/recorded with South Carolina native and tenor saxophonist, Houston Person; she also free-lanced and had several recordings under her own name ñ her last was Etta Jones Sings Lady Day; she passed away from complications of caner in 2001 in Mt. Vernon, NY

Jordan, Taft (1915-1981) - born in Florence, SC but moved to Norfolk, VA and later to Philadelphia during is youth; trumpeter and vocalist; began playing on the baritone horn and later trumpet; he was known in his early career to be a Louis Armstrong sound-alike on trumpet and vocals; Jordanís recording of ìOn the Sunny Side of the Streetî was so close to Armstrongís, some listeners thought Louis was copying Taft; played and recorded with the Washboard Rhythm Kings, Doc Hyder in Philadelphia then joined Chick Webb (1933) and remained after Webbís death under Ella Fitzgeraldís leadership until the band was disbanded in 1942; Taft was the lead trumpeter (along with Bobby Stark) in Webbís band through the 1930s; played with his own combo, the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1943-47) where he gained a lot of attention, the Lucille Dixon Orchestra at New Yorkís Savannah Club (1949-53), and toured with Benny Goodman with a stint at the Brussels Worlds Fair (1958); he led his own bands, and played in show bands and with the New York Jazz Repertory Company; he recorded four titles as a band leader in 1935 three albums (1960-61)

Kennan, "Dewey" Norman Wilson (1916- ?) - born in Union, SC; bassist; played/recorded with Count Basie, Bud Powell, Harry Belafonte, and the Cootie Williams Orchestra

Letman, "Johnny" John (1917-1992) - trumpeter; born in McCormick, SC; studied trumpet and mellophone in Chicago; played with the Nat Cole combo(1938), Horace Henderson and Red Saunders (1941-42); worked with Teddy Buckner and John Kirby in Detroit; settled in New York in 1944 and played with the Phil Moore Four at CafÈ Society, Lucky Millinder (1945), Cab Calloway (1947-49), and Count Basie (1951); he headed his own combo and recorded with Joe Thomas, Stuff Smith, Chubby Jackson and Panama Francis (1958-60); he free-lanced in the 1950s-1960s and was active in television and on Broadway; as a bandleader, he recorded four titles between 1959 and 1968 including Black and Blue; he made a few recordings in Paris (1968), and with Lionel Hampton, Cozy Cole and Earl ìFathaî Hines (1977); his New Orleans Blues Serenaders toured Europe (1985-86)

Miley, Bubber (1903-1932) - born in Aiken, SC; trumpeter; Miley came to New York at age six and began studying trombone and trumpet; her service in the Navy, he toured with Mamie Smith (1920), played with Elmer Snowdenís Washingtonians (1923), and formed his own band; when his band broke up, many of the musicians, including Miley, joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1926-28) where he drew much attention; he later joined Noble Sissle to work in Europe but returned to the States and worked with Zutty Singleton at Lafayette Theatre; Miley was largely responsible for creating the signature ìjungleî sound for the Duke Ellington Orchestra that made the group famous by specializing in the use of the rubber-plunger mute and producing dramatic effects, imitating a human voice; his solos are unsurpassed that they have often been referred to as ìsupernaturalî; he co-wrote several compositions with Duke including ìEast St. Louis Toodle-oo,î ìBlack and Tan Fantasy,î and ìDoiní the voom voomî; alcoholism made him unreliable and Duke fired him; Miley contributed more than any other musician of his era to the Ellington band; following his stint with Duke, he played with bandleader, Leo Reisman ñ his solo on ìWhat Is This Thing Called Loveî is quite memorable, and formed his own band recording six titles; with Bubber Miley and His Mileage Makers, he recorded Donít Leave Me Here in New York, vol. 3; at the peak of his career and at only 29 years of age, Miley died of tuberculosis in New York in 1932

Minger, Pete (? ñ 2000) - Orangeburg, SC native; bop-based trumpeter and fl¸gelhornist who attended Tennessee State University and Berklee School of Music; spent ten years with the Count Basie Orchestra (1970-80) as a featured soloist; settled in Miami in the 1980s and free-lanced in the area; he led superior quartet sessions for Spinnster (1983), later reissued on Concord (1992); his discography includes Straight from the Source (1983), Minger Painting (1991), and Look to the Sky (1992); he also recorded with Ella Fitzgerald, Milt Jackson, Mel Torme and Keter Betts

Ott, Horace (1953 - ) - a South Carolina native, Ott is a pianist, arranger, and conductor who resides in the New York-New Jersey vicinity; he has arranged and recorded with King Curtis, Gil Scott-Heron, Nina Simone, Dakota Staton, Joe Williams, Etta Jones, Houston Person, Bob Thiele and many rhythm and blues artists; did the musical arrangement for the film, Canít Stop the Music (1980), and composed the musical score for Gordonís War(1973)

Pearson, "Skipp" Thales Thomas ( ) - born in Orangeburg, SC and graduated with a degree in music from Claflin University; worked as a band director|music teacher South Carolina (Bamberg and Clarendon counties) for 24 years; worked with Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Patti LaBelle, Wynton Marsalis Ron Westray, Wycliff Gordon, and others; his current band, Jazzology, has performed regularly at local clubs in Columbia including Greenstreets and the Hunter Gatherer; he has been honored by the South Carolina State University Jazz Band Hall of Fame (1998), the South Carolina State House of Representatives (2002), and has received an Elizabeth OíNeill Verner Award for the Arts (2003)

Person, Houston (1934 - )- born in Florence, SC, Person began musical studies on the piano and later the tenor saxophone; in the service in Germany, he played with Eddie Harris, Lanny Morgan, Leo Wright, and Cedar Walton; he was a member of Johnny ìHammondî Smithís group (1963-66) and since then, has been a bandleader working often with singer Etta Jones; he has recorded a number of recordings for Muse and other labels

Prysock, Arthur (1929-1997 ) - born in Spartanburg, SC and the brother of saxophonist, Red Prysock; he moved to Hartford, CT as a teenager where he sang in several small bands; as a singer (baritone), his breakthrough came in 1964; his first professional work was with Buddy Johnson (1944) as his lead male vocalist in Harlem ballrooms and clubs where he was discovered; he went solo in 1952 and quickly landed an R & B hit ("I Didnít Sleep A Wink Last Night") ñ he was instantly a hit with audiences as a balladeer; he became well known in jazz circles during his work and recording with Count Basie (1965); he hosted his own television show (ìTonight"), performed at Carnegie Hall (1966) and in countless jazz, rhythm and blues venues and with an array of musicians; he scored countless rhythm and blues hits including ìI Worry ëBout Youî (1958), ìThe Very Thought of Youî (1960), ìItís Too Late Baby, Itís Too Lateî (1965), a disco hit, ìWhen Love Is Newî (1976), and several hit albums including A Rockiní Good Way (1985), This Guyís in Love With You (1986), and Todayís Love Songs, Tomorrowís Blues (1987); he also recorded a popular jingle for Lowenbrau beer; Prysock passed away in 1927 in Bermuda

Russell, "Snookum" Isaac (1913-1981) - bandleader, arranger and pianist; born in Columbia, SC, Russell first studied drums and later the bass, and played with a local band at age 7; he toured the country with the Hartley Toots Band (1933-1939) then formed his own band (1939-50) with Fats Navarro, Ray Brown and J.J. Johnson playing all over the U.S.; recorded with George Lewis and Jimmy Yancey; Russell settled in New Orleans in the 1950s and was the jazz pianist at the Paddock Bar and Lounge on Bourbon Street for over 25 years; he has performed as leader of a jazz combo at other New Orleans night clubs including the Gateway Hotel piano bar; he passed away in 1981 and a jazz funeral was held for him

Shirley, Jimmy (1913-1989) - swing guitarist and one of the early electric guitarists; born in Union, SC and raised in Cleveland where he was taught guitar by his father; he joined J. Frank Terry and Hal Draper in Cincinnati (1934-36)), formed his own quartet and trio, worked with Clarence Profitís trio (1937-41) with whom he made his recording debut; toured with Ella Fitzgerald (1942-43), played with the Phil Moore Four, and had a long, off an on association with Herman Chittison (1944-54); he began doubling on electric bass with Buddy Tate (1967), and recorded with James P. Johnson, Sidney DeParis (1944), Johnny Guarnieri (1975), and Stephane Grappelli (1978); he recorded ìJimmyís Bluesî for Blue Note (1945) and headed one album for Black & Blue (1975); he was one of the first to use the vibrola attached to his guitar for a unique sound; Shirley passed away in 1989 in Harlem

Thompson, "Lucky" Eli (1924-2005) - born in Columbia, SC; jazz saxophonist; early in his career (before age 21), he played with Erskine Hawkinsí Alabama State Collegians, and played tenor saxophone with Billy Eckstine (including Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey) and Count Basie; he later played with Lionel Hampton, Slam Stewart, Dinah Washington, Milt Jackson, Eddie Barclay, Stan Kenton, Charles Mingus, Buddy Collette and Miles Davis among others, and can be heard on hundreds of jazz recordings; he led his own band at the Savoy Ballroom and performed at the Nice Jazz Festival; considered a great jazz saxophonist, he abruptly quit in the early 1970ís giving his instruments to a dentist to pay a bill; he dropped out of public view and the Los Angeles Times reported that it was widely believed he was homeless; he spoke out against what he considered the unfair control of the jazz business by record companies, music publishers and booking agents and was blacklisted -- partly for these reasons, he left the United States to live in Paris (1957-1962) and Lausanne, Switzerland (1968-1970); he frequented New York occasionally, taught music at Dartmouth (1973-1974), lived on Ontarioís Manitoulin Island, in Savannah, and settled in Seattle in the late 1980s; he died at Seattleís Columbia City Assisted Living Center

Ulmer, "Blood" James (1942- ) - born in St. Matthews, SC; guitarist; Ulmer began his career playing in funk bands, first in Pittsburgh (1959-64) and later around Columbus, OH (1964-67); he gigged at Minton's Playhouse and played with Art Blakey, recorded with Rashied Aliís Quintet (1973), and worked with Ornette Coleman, Ulmerís main influence; he recorded in the 1970s and 1980s, and recorded three sessions for Columbia (1981) which gained him wide exposure; he collaborated with the Music Revelation Ensemble (tenor saxophonist, David Murray, bassist, Amin Ali, and drummer, Ronald Shannon Jackson) and they produced several albums over two decades; his work with Phalanx (tenor saxophonist, George Adams, bassist, Sirone, and drummer, Rashied Ali) catapulted him into free jazz expressionism that made him successful; in recent years (1980s-1990s), his work has evolved from free jazz to more structured music though his work in the 1990s with Music Revelation Ensemble still hints at his earlier style; his recordings are numerous including Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions, No Escape From the Blues (2003), Birthright (2005), and ten solo originals and two covers of classic repertoire

Williams, John C., Jr. (?? ) - born in Orangeburg, SC; baritone saxophone; graduate of South Carolina State University; played and recorded with Sarah Vaughan, the Manhattan Transfer, Diane Schuur, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Tito Puente, and most notably with the Count Basie Orchestra for more than two decades (1980s-present); some of Williamsí first recordings with the Basie Orchestra can be found in a collection titled, The Golden Years (Pablo, 1972-1983) ñ playing on these recordings with Williams are Charlestonians and South Carolinians, Freddie Green, Pete Minger, Dizzy Gillespie, and Norman Keenan

Williams, Sandy (1906-1991) - born in Summerville, SC; trombonist; moved to Washington, D.C. as a child and played his first gig with the Miller Brothers in D.C. and with small bands led by Sidney Bechet, where Williams is said to have done some of his finest work; his first recording with Bechet was in 1940 and in 1945 he played with Bechetís band at a Town Hall concert celebrating the Blue Note record label.; he also played in the pit band in D.C. at the Lincoln Theater; he later joined Claude Hopkins (1927-1930), Horace and Fletcher Henderson (1929-33), and then Chick Webb until 1940 after Webbís death and under the leadership of Ella Fitzgerald; in 1943, he played with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and with Coleman Hawkins, Lucky Millinder, Benny Carter, Cootie Williams, ìHot Lipsî Page, Don Redman, and Roy Eldridge, periodically; Williams toured with Rex Stewart in Europe (1947-48) and later played with Dixieland groups; a fine trombonist of the Jimmy Harrison school who never got the chance to break through and become the prominent figure he could have been partly because of persistent health problems during the 1950s and subsequent dental problems during the 1960s; Williams died in 1991 in New York City

Young, Webster English (1932-2003) - born in Columbia, SC (Lexington County); cornetist/trumpeter; later resided in Washington, DC; played and recorded with many of the giants of jazz from the 1940s and 1950s including Lester Young, Mal Waldron, John Coltrane (1957), Jackie McLean, Ray Draper, and others; he played in the Air Force Band with Hampton Hawes in DC (1956); he has several albums under his name including Plays the Miles Davis Songbook (volumes 1-3) and For Lady (Prestige, 1957); ìMillieís Padî is one of his compositions; he taught jazz improvisation and was the 1984 musical director of Lettumplay, Washington, D.C.ís jazz preservation organization and youth jazz ensemble; Young died in 2003 in Portland, OR at the age of 71 following a battle with brain cancer