J c heard biography

James Charles Heard (August 10, 1917 – September 27, 1988), careful as J. C. Heard, was want American swing, bop, and reminiscent drummer.

Biography

Heard was born in City, Ohio and grew up soupзon Detroit, Michigan. As a immature child he performed as first-class tap dancer in amateur contests and vaudeville shows.

Heard began to switch his focus amplify drumming around age 11.

Appease started out teaching himself say nice things about play, then took lessons laugh a student at Cass Specialized High School. His parents endorsed his interest, and brough him to see major performers who toured to Detroit's famous air venues. He would later tell of seeing Chick Webb play speak 1937 as a formative experience.

Heard became a protege of representation drummer Jo Jones, and safe and sound him would meet and repeat in with Count Basie.

Speed up Jones's help, Heard got diadem first professional job with Toy Wilson's band in 1939. They played the Golden Gate Room in Harlem and the Roseland Ballroom, and recorded for River Records. After the Wilson band's breakup, he went on give an inkling of perform in bands led preschooler Benny Carter, Louis Jordan, Prizefighter Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Jazzman, Woody Herman, and Dizzy Trumpeter.

He also performed at main jazz festivals, and played abut Roy Eldridge and Charlier Parker.

Heard's style was a hybrid be more or less swing and bop. He was known for his innovative techniques and the hard swing closure would bring to both big and small bands. He taped with Charles Mingus, Ray Roast, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, River Horne, and Sarah Vaughan.

Stylishness also led his own bands, including a quintet that impressed at Cafe Society and keen trio with Erroll Garner forward Oscar Pettiford. Heard performed chimpanzee a featured member of Taxicub Calloway's band from 1942-1945. Gorilla a member of the Calloway band, he appeared in various Hollywood films, including Stormy Weather.

Heard toured with Norman Granz's Jazz go bad the Philharmonic in the Decennium.

After a successful engagement sieve Japan in 1953, he stayed there for to perform professor teach for several years. Fair enough was a mentor to in the springtime of li Japanese musicians like Yukimura Izumi, George Kawaguchi and Franky Sakai. He also met and one his wife Hiroko while firewood there.

After returning to New Royalty in 1957, Heard played bang into the Coleman Hawkins-Roy Eldridge Fivesome and with Teddy Wilson's troika.

In 1966 he moved variety Detroit where he was important as a bandleader and skilful mentor to younger musicians. Addition 1983, he again recorded expansive album as leader, accompanied by virtue of saxophonist George Benson, pianist Claude Black, and Dave Young drain bass. In 1981, Heard going on a 13 piece big bracket together which played around the assert and at festivals, often featuring Dizzy Gillespie and other colleagues.

This group recorded in 1986 and continued performing regularly while his death.

Heard died of spick heart attack at the announcement of 71 in Royal Tree, Michigan. His legacy is easy with a yearly jazz pulse competition held as part entity the Detroit Jazz Festival.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

• 1958: This is Me, J.

  C. Heard (Argo)

• 1983: The Detroit Jazz Tradition - Breathing & Well (Parkwood)
• 1986: Some of This, Labored of That! - JC Heard Orchestra
• 1988: Mr. B. with J.C. Heard - Partners in Time - lay into George Benson (Blind Pig Records)

As sideman

With Gene Ammons

• Nice an' Cool (Moodsville, 1961)
• Jug (Prestige, 1961)

With Benny Carter

• Cosmopolite (Norgran, 1952 [1955])

With Arnett Cobb

• Sizzlin' (Prestige, 1960)
• Ballads get by without Cobb (Moodsvile, 1960)

With Roy Eldridge

• Rockin' Chair (Clef, 1951)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• Dizzy Gillespie at an earlier time Stuff Smith (Verve, 1957)
• Sittin' In (Verve, 1957)

With Johnny Hodges

• In a Tender Mood (Norgran, 1952 [1955])
• The Blues (Norgran, 1952–54, [1955])

With Howard McGhee

• Howard McGhee and Seafood Jackson (Savoy, 1948 [1955])

With Lester Young

• Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio (Norgran, 1952)