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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZHILL, Teddy(b 7 Dec. '09, Birmingham AL; d 19 May '78, Cleveland OH) Reeds, leader. Played drums and trumpet in school, switched to reeds; played with Luis Russell late '20s, led own bands from '32. All the band's recordings were made '36--7 with lineups incl. Roy Eldridge, Dickie Wells, Bill Coleman, Chu Berry, Russell Procope, Frankie Newton, and in May '37 Dizzy Gillespie's first recording session; the band toured Europe that year. All 26 superbly played tracks compiled on Uptown Rhapsody on Hep, excellent transfers by John R. T. Davies, a slice of the most charming pop music of the day. Hill gave up touring after '40 and may have had his doubts about bop at first, but he ran Minton's in NYC where the house combo was an incubator, giving young turks the opportunity to jam: pickup recordings from there capture Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk, Gillespie and others stretching their wings. |