Urbie Green
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Urbane Clifford "Urbie" Green (born August 8, 1926 in Mobile, Alabama, USA) is a noted jazz trombonist who toured with Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, and Frankie Carle. He appears on over 250 recordings and has released more than two dozen albums as a soloist.
Green was taught the piano as a child by his mother, jazz and popular tunes from the beginning. He picked up the trombone, which both older brothers played, when he was about 12. Although he listened to such trombone greats as Tommy Dorsey, J. C. Higginbotham, Jack Jenny, Jack Teagarden and Trummy Young he has said that he was more influenced by the styles of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Lester Young . Green's father died when he was 15 and Urbie went straight into professional music, first joining the Tommy Reynolds Band in California before moving on to stints with Bob Strong and Frankie Carle.
In 1947, Green joined Gene Krupa's band and quickly moved up to Woody Hermans third "Thundering Herd" Big Band in 1950. In 1954 he was awarded the "New Star" Critics Award from Down Beat International. Moving to New York City in 1953 and established himself as the premier trombonist in demand for the booming recording industry. He was voted "Most Valuable Player" several times by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Some have even proposed that he may be the most recorded musician of all time. He recorded with virtually all of the major jazz musicians of the 1950s and 1960s and led his own groups while also joining tours as a featured performer, including a three-month tour helming the Benny Goodman Orchestra and the unusual job of fronting the Tommy Dorsey orchestra after Dorsey's death in 1965. He collaborated with innovative producer Enoch Light for the Command and Project 3 labels, producing what are probably his most notable recordings, such as the two-volume sets "The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green" and "21 Trombones."
In the 1970's Green began making innovations with his instrument. He designed a signature mouthpiece for Jet Tone (http://www.jet-tone.com/) and collaborated with Martin Brass on practical improvements to trombone design, including modifications of the hand brace and slide, water valve, and finish. He also worked with King Instruments on experiments with electronic modifications to the trombone.
Green's trombone sound is especially noted for its warm, mellow tone, even in the higher registers where he is more fluent than most trombonists. His technique is considered flawless.
Green's professional career has slowed considerably and he spends most of his time with his family on his farm in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. in 1995 he was elected to the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
External Links
- Bio at Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (http://www.jazzhall.com/inductees/UrbieGreen.asp)
- Bio at WindSong Press (http://www.windsongpress.com/brass%20players/trombone/green.htm)
Categories: 1928 births | People from Alabama | Jazz bandleaders | American jazz musicians | Jazz trombonists
