Benny Bailey


Ernest Harold "Benny" Bailey was an American jazz trumpeter.

Biography

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bailey briefly studied flute and piano before turning to trumpet. He attended the Cleveland Conservatory of Music. He was influenced by Cleveland native Tadd Dameron and had a significant influence on other Cleveland musicians, such as Albert Ayler, Bob Cunningham, Bobby Few, Bill Hardman, and Frank Wright. Bailey played with Tony Lovano, father of Joe Lovano.
In the early 1940s he worked with Bull Moose Jackson and Scatman Crothers. He later worked with Dizzy Gillespie and toured with Lionel Hampton. During a European tour with Hampton he remained in Europe and spent time in Sweden, where he worked with Harry Arnold's big band. He preferred big bands over small groups, and he became associated with several big bands in Europe, including the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band. His time with Quincy Jones led to a brief return to the United States in 1960. He was invited to the studio as part of Freddie Redd's sextet to record Redd's Blues after meeting the pianist during a tour in Sweden, and played at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival. He returned to Europe, first to Germany, then the Netherlands, where he settled permanently.
In 1969 he played on Eddie Harris and Les McCann's album Swiss Movement, recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, although it was not his usual style of music. In 1988 he worked with British clarinetist Tony Coe and recorded albums until 2000 when he was in his mid-70s.
Bailey died at home in Amsterdam on April 14, 2005.

Discography

As leader

Quincy - Here We Come also released as The Music of Quincy Jones by Argo in 1961Big Brass Soul Eyes Folklore in Swing The Balkan in My Soul Soul Eyes: Jazz Live at the Domicile Munich Mirrors Islands Serenade to a Planet East of Isar with Sal Nistico Grand Slam While My Lady Sleeps No Refill Angel Eyes Peruvian Nights I Thought About You

As sideman

With Count Basie
With Berlin Contemporary Jazz OrchestraBerlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
With the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big BandJazz Is Universal Handle with Care Now Hear Our Meanin' Swing, Waltz, Swing Sax No End Out of the Folk Bag 17 Men and Their Music All Smiles Faces Latin Kaleidoscope Fellini 712 All Blues More Smiles Clarke Boland Big Band en Concert avec Europe 1 Off Limits November Girl with Carmen McRae Change of Scenes with Stan Getz
With Eric DolphyThe Berlin Concerts
With Stan GetzImported from Europe
With Benny GolsonStockholm Sojourn
With Dexter GordonSophisticated Giant Revelation
With Quincy JonesQuincy's Home Again - also released as Harry Arnold + Big Band + Quincy Jones = Jazz! I Dig Dancers Quincy Plays for Pussycats – recorded in 1959-65Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux also with Miles Davis – recorded in 1991
With Billy MitchellDe Lawd's Blues
With Les McCann & Eddie HarrisSwiss Movement
With Freddie ReddRedd's Blues
With Charlie RouseThe Upper Manhattan Jazz Society
With Sahib ShihabCompanionship
With Randy WestonUhuru Afrika
With Jimmy WitherspoonSome of My Best Friends Are the Blues
With Phil Woods