Jazz Notes - Alex Hill – Pianist – Composer and Arranger 1906 - 1937
Alex Hill, born Little Rock Arkansas on 19th April 1906, was an important figure on the Chicago jazz scene in the 20s and later on worked at the Savoy in Harlem.
He is a largely forgotten figure these days, buy an important one nonetheless.
He was taught piano by his mother and worked with Alphonso Trent before organising his own band in 1924. He was the musical director of a travelling revue and found himself in Hollywood, playing atmosphere music for silent film sets. He played with New Orleans trumpeter, Mutt Carey’s Jeffersonians before moving to Chicago.
In the Windy City, he played with Carroll Dickerson, Jimmy Wade and Jimmie Noone.
He appears on some fine Chicago Southside sessions with Albert Wynn’s Gut Bucket Five, Junie Cobb as well as a superb session in 1929, which produced “South Bound” and “Dyin’ With The Blues”.
He was an early jazz composer and arranger and collaborated on a number of songs with Fats Waller, including “I’m Crazy ‘bout my Baby” and “Baby Brown”.
He made some important recordings with Eddie Condon in the early ‘30s and was composer of ‘Long about Midnight, a hit for Cab Calloway and Keep A Song In Your Soul for Jack Teagarden and Red Nichols.
One of his most famous songs was “I Would Do Anything For You”, recorded by Billy Banks Rhythmakers in 1932 and later in the decade, by Benny Goodman.
He wrote, “Beau Koo Jack” for Louis Armstrong.
At the height of his fame as bandleader, he was struck down with TB in 1936, dying at a tragically young age of 31 the following year.
In a two part show, American jazz drummer and historian, Hal Smith, joins me for a two part celebration of Alex’s music on the “Sound of Spitfire” on Monday 14th and Monday 21st February.
The shows are repeated on Wednesday afternoon at 2 pm and 1am on Thursday morning.
Tune into to Now You Has Jazz, Jazz, Jazz here: https://www.soundofspitfire.co.uk/
In part one we look at Hill’s earliest recordings with Albert Wynn’s Gut Bucket Five, a couple of piano duets with drummer Johnny Wells, some Jimmie Noone, Armstrong and Earl Hines.
Next week’s show features Bessie Smith, the Condon tracks, Hill’s own band as well as recordings of Hill songs by Waller, the Rhythmakers, Calloway and Nichols. An added bonus is a swinging track by Hal Smith’s own band from the tribute CD he recorded some years ago.