Andy Kirk
| Andy Kirk | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Andrew Dewey Kirk |
| Born | May 28, 1898 |
| Origin | Newport, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | December 11, 1992 (aged 94) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Saxophone, tuba |
| Labels | Brunswick Decca |
Andrew Dewey Kirk (May 28, 1898 – December 11, 1992) was a jazz saxophonist and tubist best known as a bandleader of the "Twelve Clouds of Joy," popular during the swing era.
He started his musical career playing with George Morrison's band, but then went on to join Terrence Holder's Dark Clouds of Joy. In 1929 he was elected leader after Holder departed. Renaming themselves Twelve Clouds of Joy they set up in the Pla-Mor Ballroom on the junction of 32nd and Main in Kansas City and made their first recording for Brunswick Records that same year. Mary Lou Williams came in as pianist at the last moment, but she impressed Brunswick's Dave Kapp, so she became a regular member of the band.[1] The pianist she replaced, Marion Jackson, did not take well to this[citation needed] but otherwise Kirk's band would be fairly stable with the incorporation of Williams.
Kirk recorded for Brunswick 1929-late 1930. In mid-1936, he was signed to Decca and made scores of popular records until 1946. He presumably disbanded and reformed his band during that 6 year recording layoff.
In 1942, Kirk and His Clouds of Joy recorded "Take It and Git", which on October 24, 1942, became the first single to hit number one on the Harlem Hit Parade, the predecessor to the Billboard R&B chart. In 1943, with June Richmond on vocals, he had a number 4 hit with "Hey Lawdy Mama".
[edit] Clouds of Joy
The band at various times included Buddy Tate (tenor saxophone), Claude Williams (violin), Pha Terrell (vocals), Mary Lou's then husband, John Williams, Bill Coleman,[2] Ken Kersey, Dick Wilson, Don Byas, "Shorty" Baker, Howard McGhee, Jimmy Forrest, Ben Smith, Fats Navarro, Charlie Parker (briefly),[1] Reuben Phillips, Ben Thigpen, Henry Wells, Milt Robinson, Floyd Smith, Hank Jones, Johnny Lynch, Joe Williams, Big Jim Lawson, Gino Murray and Joe Evans.[3]
In 1948, Andy Kirk folded the band and continued to do music after that, but eventually switched to hotel management and real estate[4] and also served as an official in the Musicians' Union.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c All Music
- ^ Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz Oxford University Press US, 2007 ISBN 019532000X, 9780195320008 at Google Books
- ^ Evans, Joe and Brooks, Christopher Follow your heart: moving with the giants of jazz, swing, and rhythm and blues. University of Illinois Press, 2008 ISBN 0252033035, 9780252033032 Joe Evans autobiography at Google Books
- ^ BBC Radio 2
[edit] References
- Andy Kirk Twenty Years on Wheels. As Told to Amy Lee. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1989.
- Frank Driggs & Chuck Haddix Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop - A History. Oxford: Oxford University, Oxford 2005; ISBN 9780195307127
