Shorty Baker

Harold "Shorty" Baker (May 26, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, US – November 8, 1966) was an American jazz trumpeter.^[1]

Baker began on drums, but switched to trumpet during his teens. He started his career on riverboats and played with Don Redman in the mid-1930s.^[1] He also worked with Teddy Wilson and Andy Kirk before joining Duke Ellington.^[1] He married Kirk's pianist Mary Lou Williams^[1] and though the two separated shortly thereafter, they never officially divorced.

Baker worked on and off in Duke Ellington's Orchestra from 1942 to 1962.^[1] He also worked with Johnny Hodges's group in the early 1950s, during the period when Hodges was not a member of Ellington's orchestra.^[1]

He died of throat cancer in New York at the age of 52.^[2]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

The Broadway Beat (King, 1959)
The Bud Freeman All-Stars featuring Shorty Baker (Swingville, 1960) with Bud Freeman^[1]
Shorty & Doc (Swingville, 1961) with Doc Cheatham^[1]

As sideman

With Johnny Hodges

The Blues (Norgran, 1952–54, [1955])
Used to Be Duke (Norgran, 1954)
The Big Sound (Verve, 1957)

With Billy Strayhorn

Cue for Saxophone (Felsted, 1959)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 27/8. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
^ Owsley, D. (2006). City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz in St. Louis, 1895-1973. United States: Reedy Press, p. 57

External links

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[LarkinJazz-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 27/8. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.

[2] Owsley, D. (2006). City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz in St. Louis, 1895-1973. United States: Reedy Press, p. 57

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