Yesterday would have been the 100th birthday of Mr B, Billy Eckstine. What a voice.
He sang and played trumpet with Earl Hines. He met Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, who had some new ideas about music. When Mr B left the Hines orchestra to start his own, he brought them along and hired other progressive jazz players. Mr B didn't like the word, but they were the first bebop big band.
As the big band era ended, Billy Eckstine performed as a solo act. He was very successful until he ran into racist attitudes, but he carried on.
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