Calvin Boze facts for kids
Calvin B. Boze, Sr. (born October 15, 1916 – died June 18, 1970) was a talented American trumpet player and bandleader. He is best known for the music he recorded around the early 1950s.
Calvin Boze's Musical Journey
Calvin Boze was born in Trinity County, Texas. He started playing music in his high school band. Famous musicians like Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, and Charles Brown were also in this band. After high school, Boze played in bands led by Marvin Johnson and Milton Larkins. He continued to play with Illinois Jacquet and also Eddie Vinson during this time.
After serving in the military during wartime, Calvin Boze moved to Los Angeles. There, he became a singer and trumpet player. He helped create a fun music style called jump blues. This style was very energetic and was influenced by musicians like Louis Jordan.
Boze made his first recordings in 1945. But his biggest hits came after 1949 with Aladdin Records. In May 1950, he released a song called "Safronia B". This song was a classic and showed the fun spirit of the music scene in California. It had a catchy part where he sang, "I surrender! I surrender!"
"Safronia B" became very popular. It reached number 9 on the Billboard R&B chart in June 1950. This song has been included in many music collections from that time. Later, the famous group The Manhattan Transfer also recorded "Safronia B".
Around this time, Calvin Boze toured a lot. He often performed with the famous singer Dinah Washington. However, his later songs, like "Looped" and an early version of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", were not as successful. He stopped recording music after 1952.
Even though he stopped recording, Calvin Boze continued to play music. He often joined in jam sessions around Los Angeles. He also started a new career as a social worker and a school teacher. Calvin Boze passed away in Los Angeles, California, in June 1970, at the age of 53.
See also
- List of jump blues musicians
