Jack Teagarden

Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 in Vernon, Texas - January 15, 1964) was an influential jazz trombonist. His brother Charlie and his sister Norma also became noted professional musicians. Teagarden's father was an amateur brass band trumpeter and started young Jack on baritone horn; by age 10 he had switched to trombone. He first heard jazz music played by the Louisiana Five and decided to play in the new style.

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Teagarden's trombone style was largely self-taught, and he developed many unusual alternative positions and novel special effects on the instrument. He is usually considered the most innovative jazz trombone stylist of the pre-Bebop era, and did much to expand the role of the instrument beyond the old tailgate style role of the early New Orleans brass bands.

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By 1920 Jack Teagarden was playing professionally in San Antonio, Texas, including with the band of pianist Peck Kelley. In the mid 1920s he started traveling widely around the United States in a quick succession of different bands. In 1927, he came to New York City where he worked with several bands. By 1928 he played for the Ben Pollack band. In the late 1920s he recorded with such notable bandleaders and sidemen as Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols, Jimmy McPartland, Mezz Mezzrow, Glenn Miller, and Eddie Condon.

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In the early 1930s Teagarden was based in Chicago, for some time playing with the band of Wingy Manone. He played at the Century of Progress exposition in Chicago.

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Teagarden sought financial security during The Great Depression and signed an exclusive contract to play for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra from 1933 through 1938.

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Teagarden then started leading his own big band. He acted and played in the film The Birth of the Blues and appears in the documentary Jazz on a Summer's Day.

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In 1946 Jack Teagarden joined Louis Armstrong's All Stars. Armstrong and Teagarden's work together shows a wonderful rapport between the musicians. In late 1951 Teagarden left to again lead his own band, then co-led a band with Earl Hines, then again with a group under his own name with whom he toured Asia in 1958 and 1959.

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Teagarden was also a prolific and popular singer. He sang in a lyric baritone-tenor voice. His singing is best remembered for duets with Louis Armstrong and Johnny Mercer.

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Jack Teagarden continued playing until the night before he died in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California.

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August 20: August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 133 days remaining....

1905: 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar)....

Vernon, Texas: Vernon is a city located in Wilbarger County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, Vernon had a total population of 11,660. It is the county seat of Wilbarger County....

Jack Teagarden related Images and Photos (experimental)

Jack	Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park San Francisco USA	Jack Lord	Jack Webb
Jack Wild	Jack Elam	Jack Lord	Jack Lord
Jack Bull, The (DVD)	Jack Benny	Jack Sprat	Jack Kelly