Geechie Fields
Julius J. "Geechie" Fields (September 9, 1904 – August 15, 1997)[1][2] was an American jazz trombonist.
Geechie Fields | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Julius J. Fields |
| Born | September 9, 1904 |
| Origin | Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | August 15, 1997 (aged 92) |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Trombone |
Early life
Fields grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and learned to play trombone at the Jenkins Orphanage.[3]
Career
In the early 1920s he became a touring member of the Jenkins Orphanage bands, then relocated to New York City, where he was a house musician at John O'Connor's club.[4] Primarily a trombonist, he was also credited as playing the alto saxophone and clarinet. He played with Earle Howard in 1926 and 1927, recorded with Jelly Roll Morton in 1928 and 1930, and with Charlie Skeete and Bill Benford in 1929. He also worked with Clarence Williams and James P. Johnson.
Personal life
In the 1930s, Fields married singer Myra Johnson. He later left music to become a boxing coach.[5]
References
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- "Fields, Geechie - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
- Franklin, Benjamin (2016-05-30). An Encyclopedia of South Carolina Jazz & Blues Musicians. Univ of South Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1-61117-622-3.
- "Geechie Fields". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd edition, ed. Barry Kernfeld, 2004.
- Chadbourne, Eugene. "Geechie Fields". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
Further reading
- L. Wright: Mr. Jelly Lord (Chigwell, England, 1980)
- Tom Lord: Clarence Williams (Chigwell, England, 1976)
- John Chilton: A Jazz Nursery: the Story of the Jenkins Orphanage Bands of Charleston, South Carolina (London, 1980)