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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 ZBAILEY, Buster(b William C. Bailey, 19 July '02, Memphis TN; d 12 April '67) Clarinet, one of the most highly regarded of the era. As a teenager he played for W. C. Handy, Erskine Tate and King Oliver, then joined Fletcher Henderson '24, playing on a great many Henderson records to '37, and recording two tunes '34 as Buster Bailey and his Seven Chocolate Dandies with Henderson's men. Making very few records under his own name, he nevertheless recorded as often as almost anybody of his generation, his prodigious technique keeping him in demand. He came to Europe early '30s with Noble Sissle, where he was easily the most interesting musician in that popular novelty band, and was the star of Henderson's 'Wild Party' and 'Limehouse Blues' '34, to name just two tracks. He more than held his own on a famous Lionel Hampton small-group session '37 that featured Johnny Hodges, filigreeing the introductions and playing superb solos on 'Rhythm, Rhythm (I Got Rhythm)' and 'I Know That You Know', practically dominating the latter. He played in the Mills Blue Rhythm Band '34--5, then with John Kirby's sextet '37-- 46 (see Kirby's entry): anybody who could cut the arrangements in that tight little band had to be first-class, while tracks as Buster Bailey and his Rhythm Busters '38 (incl. 'Man With A Horn Goes Berserk') and Buster Bailey and his Sextet '40 were essentially the same group. He played with Red Allen most of the '50s, with Wild Bill Davison early '60s and spent his last two years with Louis Armstrong's All- Stars, throughout a long career bringing an intelligent, controlled ecstasy to a great many bandstands. It is said that he would have wished to play classical music if there had been no racial restriction. |