Billy Mackel
Billy Mackel | |
|---|---|
 Billy Mackel, c. 1953 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John William Mackel |
| Born | December 28, 1912 |
| Died | May 5, 1986 (aged 73) |
| Genres | Mainstream jazz |
| Occupation | guitarist |
| Instrument(s) | guitar, banjo |
| Years active | 1944–1986 |
John William "Billy" Mackel (December 28, 1912 – May 5, 1986) was an American jazz guitarist.[1]
Mackel played banjo early in his career in his home town of Baltimore, but switched to guitar (like many banjoists of the day) in the 1930s. He played left-handed. He led his own band early in the 1940s, then joined Lionel Hampton in 1944. Mackel worked with Hampton, with occasional intermissions, for over thirty years, touring and recording with him copiously. In the 1940s he also recorded with Milt Buckner, Arnett Cobb, Herbie Fields, and others, and worked with Billy Williams in the 1960s.[2]
References
- ^ Biography of Billy Mackel on Classic Jazz Guitar, 2005 (accessed December 9, 2014).
- ^ Bebop, Hans (October 18, 2013). "The Billy Mackel Story". lionelhampton.nl.
- "Billy Mackel". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd ed. Oxford, 2003.
